Last Guard of the Spirits
by Rex the Emerald Dragon
Summary: Kaira moves to the opposite side of her city. Here she will meet Kiro, the strangest boy she will ever meet, who holds three spirits in his hand. Please give me your opinions, good or bad.
1. Arrive Kaira and meet Kiro

Rain poured down and pattered off the roof. A roof of a broken house. Lightning cracking off directly above them as three men dressed in silver armor took another step backwards.

The village was burning and torn down. Fire licked off towards the sky, sizzling the wood it burned. Bloody corps lay strung about the twisted pile of wood and metal from soldiers swords.

A hell of a battle happened here. A hell of a battle with hell of beasts.

The three guards slank back another step. Keeping there swords and spears raised at all times, they prepared for what was coming out of the shadows before them. There armor rattled as they shook in mortal terror. Before them in the shadows, three blood red eyes emanating with evil started back.

An un Earthly scream could be heard echoing through the night sky as all three of the guards were ripped down. There blood soon trickled out and down onto the ground. Draining down the dirt road in the pouring rain.

**Last Guard of the Spirits **

Chapter 1: Arrive Kaira and meet Kiro

A beautiful slim girl stepped off a bus onto a busy sidewalk. Kaira Burue has a sexy figure that caught the eye of every passing by man. She stood 5' 10" tall and dressed in a white shirt that was laced in blue and purple. Her pants were made of the same soft silky material as her shirt but was dyed a light purple. Her long blond hair flowed down to her mid back and she made sure to whip it out of her face. Her sandy brown eyes surveying the new street.

_"Looks like I'm here. Yea." _Her tone was less than amused. She didn't really want to be here.

Kaira's mother and father had fought for most of there marriage. Many violent fights broke out until finally the divorce papers went through. Kaira's mother took her and forced her to live with her. Her father, David Burue, had taken Kaira's brother Deruku Burue to live with him on the other side of the city.

Just the other day, Kaira's mother, Shinde, passed away. Kaira had stayed at home until after the funeral. At that time, Kaira was forced by the courts to go to her father. She hated to leave her friends, her school, her old life. Things were perfect until she had to die.

Kaira sighed as she press in the button on the door bell. A ringing noise could be heard from inside the house and not but a few seconds later the door swung open.

"Kaira!" Deruku yelled as he jumped out into Kaira. Deruku was at five years younger than Kaira and didn't have long in this world before David and Shinde broke up. He all ways loved his 17 year old sister even if she had to live on the other side of the city. He went to visit her every opportunity he could. Now though, he would see her everyday. He had darker sandy blond hair and brown eyes that were wide with excitement.

"Hey!" Kaira said trying to hold her balance with her suitcases full of her stuff. "Watch it." Kaira wasn't as pleased with Deruku as he was with her. She wished he weren't so annoyingly...loving.

"Kaira? Is that you?" David said coming into view inside the house. "You have grown a lot since the last time I saw you."

"You saw me just last week!" Kaira stated as she managed to get the excited youngster off of her. "At mom's funeral."

"Yes, well." David rubbed the back of his head. His light blond hair ruffled in the movement. He cracked a playful smile. "Yes well you have grown a lot since I used to play with you in the park."

"I was like four dad." Kaira protested and looked at him. "Will one of you two help me with these?" She was referring to her baggage.

An hour later Kaira was set up in her very own room. It used to be a storage room the two 'men' used to store the meaningless junk in there house. Now they had to rent out a storage unit to keep there stuff in.

_"Everything is perfect in my world."

* * *

_

Within a week, Kaira was registered to start at the high school on this end of town. And oh was she thrilled. She jumped for joy, almost off a bridge into shallow water of a river on her drive to the new school. She figured if she went head first she could be joyous for all eternity. She decided against that kind of 'joy' and continued to the school.

Once at school, she parked her car and got out. The first thing she noticed was that the student parking lot was located next to a large green field. Along the field were white chalk lines that formed into dueling rings.

_"Wow, my old school never had any Duel Monster rings! Maybe I will get in a duel or two a day. I haven't played in so long."_ She though before she realized she didn't bring her deck. Anime style tears flowed down her face for a second before she just turned to walk into the building. _"I'll duel tomorrow. If they will allow a new person to use there fields."_

As she was walking up to the double glass doors she noticed another student get there before her. She was a little shorter than Kaira and had light brown hair. She wore the standard shirt and pants that were cream and light blue respectively. Here long hair was pulled back into a ponytail but still hung down to about her shoulders.

"Hello there." The girl said politely opening the door for Kaira. "You must be the new student that everyone is talking about."

"Yea, I guess so." Kaira said as she walked through the first set of double doors. "I am Kaira Burue."

"Nice to meat you Kaira. I am Ami Bitsuchi, Ami is fine. So what brings you to our part of town?" Ami asked.

"Oh." Kaira tried not to start thinking of it too much. If she did then she would start crying and she didn't need to do that on her first day at a new school. "My father is taking care of me now."

"I see." Ami said before quickly grabbing Kaira's shirt and pulling her to the side. They were still in the interior of the two sets of double doors so Kaira was slammed against a wall.

"Ouch!" Kaira closed her eyes with the pain. Slowly she opened them to see Ami holding open the glass door as a young man passed through.

This kid was about 6' even. He had dark green hair and brown eyes, but such a shade of brown that Kaira almost mistook them for red at the first sight. He was wearing a black over jacket and a dark gray shirt with symbols and markings all over it. Lose baggy black pants and a pair of old faded and worn tennis shoes. On his right hand he wore a leather biker glove that fit through his hand. On the glove there were three shining orbs. One was a black color. One was a soft sky blue and the third one was a dark gray color.

"What the..." Kaira was elbowed in the ribs by Ami until the man was inside.

"That would be Kiro. You don't want to be on his bad side at all. That is why I had to do that. Sorry please forgive me." Ami did a small bow to Kaira who was still lost.

"Kiro?" She asked puzzled as her and Ami continued into the school building.

"Kiro is a student here. He is a real unknown. No one knows very much about him. He is claimed by some as crazy. Others think he is homeless seeing as he has no family that comes out into the public circle."

"And the reason for ramming your elbow into my lungs would be?" Kaira rubbed her side again.

"Kiro is very mean and violent. That is what is known as fact about him. Some people have tried to follow him home. Every time they are found by cops or neighborhood families. They are bloody and twisted. Beat to a pulp and usually hospitalized for weeks."

"And he just walks among us at school?" Kaira was eve more confused. "That hardly seems safe."

"Well, all the kids claim to god that Kiro is the one that beat them up but they can't get proof. There is no DNA evidence left on any of the kids. They would have had him already if it wasn't the lack of DNA. There are no finger prints or foot prints at the scene either. Just no evidence. And all the kids suffered blows to the head so they are not credible eye witnesses." Ami looked up and then over at Kaira. "Well here is the office. Good luck on your first day of school. Do try to avoid Kiro though." Ami said and started to walk away.

"Thank you Ami." Kaira smiled and turned to the woman in the office.

* * *

Kiro sat in the back of the class room as usual. Feet kicked up on the desk and relaxing the day away. His eyes were shut as he listened, or pretended to, tothe teachers lecture. 

_"I have heard enough out of you today Hebanu!" _Kiro screamed angerly into his mind.

_("Well excuse me again. Every day we go through this. You get made at me over and over again. Why do you hate me?")_ A soft sweet yet very annoyed voice rang through Kiro's head.

_"Damn it. Heruru can you shut your brother up?"_ Kiro complained to a second entity.

_("With pleasure. Get back her bitch.") _A gruff male voice answered back to this one. The sound as if someone was chasing someone across a tile floor echoed throughout Kiro's head.

_("Kiro, honestly. I haven't gotten a moment of piece since the day us three started sharing your body and mind.")_ A third, calmer deep voice came back.

_"So what Kooru? I was forced to take you three on thanks to my stupid birth right."_ Kiro complained back to the voice in his head.

_("Gotcha bitch!") _The voice that belonged to Heruru rang out through Kiro's head and a loud thumping sound could be heard.

("Ouch!") Hebanu screamed out in pain.

Kiro smirked at this and watched the mental image of it over and over in his mind.

This smirk drew the attention of Kaira who was seated in the back row. She was only four desks down from Kiro and she noticed that he was actually smiling. From what Ami had told her, she figured that he would be one who would never smile. Even though this smile seemed cruel, evil and dark. It still was a smile.

Kaira's interest was peeked out now. She had to find out more about this boy, Kiro.

* * *

As the lunch bell rang and students started filling the cafeteria there was one table were Kiro sat alone. He wasn't eating anything but he was still smiling. 

_"Again?" _

_("Sure.") _Heruru answered back and another loud thumping sound was made.

_("Ouch! Damn you two! Ouch!") _Hebanu yelled out as another thumping sound echoed through Kiro's head.

Ami and Kaira had met up at lunch and sat at a table off to the side to watch Kiro. Kaira wasn't interested in eating as much as she was with this strange boy.

"I am going to do it." Kaira said proudly but silently so he couldn't hear her. "I am going to follow him home and get the truth."

"Your going to what?" Ami gasped and covered her mouth. "Are you crazy girl? That will get you killed!"

"I don't think he would hurt a girl...would he?" Kaira asked with a sudden drawback.

"I wouldn't put it passed him." Ami sighed and got up. "Well at least you didn't have too much of a chance to make a life here. It was good knowing you Kaira." Ami walked away and dumped her tray.

* * *

The rest of the school day went by meaningless for Kaira. She met all of her new teachers and a few fellow class mates but none of them interested her like Kiro did. There was just something about him that drew her to him. Something different that others. Like he had a different spirit or something. 

Waiting in the bushes outside of the school building, Kaira crouched down and prepared to move at the first sight of Kiro. She didn't have long to wait as he came walking out the front door a few minuets after she crouched down. He looked around and then he started walking. The way he was walking was like he had just chosen a random direction and started heading that way. Not like a set route, just a random way to go.

_"Could he really be homeless?"_ Kaira asked herself as she prepared to move. She let him get enough distance so that she wouldn't be heard following behind him.

They walked for hours in aimless directions. The sun was already set and it was growing late at night. Kaira stopped dead in the middle of an empty street and dropped her arms to her side.

"I got myself lost." She said disappointed. "I should have never gone on this wild goose chase. Well one good thing has come of this. Ami was wrong." Kaira had to smile a bit at this. "I wasn't beaten to a bloody pulp for following him."

A cold wind blew down the empty street kicking up leaves and dirt. A shiver shot down Kaira's spine as a street light started to flicker. This area of the city had little to no public lighting. A dog barked off in the distance.

"I had better get out of here. I should just go home. I am sure my dad and my brother are worried sick about me." Kaira said and slowly turned around. As soon as she did she went colliding into the chest of a man.

She fell backwards onto her butt from the impact. Looking up she saw a man that had to have been seven feet tall with spiky silver hair and cold purple eyes. He wore a white tank top that was skin tight and a pair of cargo pants. He smiled at her with lust in his eyes.

"Where do you think you want to go, pretty thang?"

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Please tell me what you think. I came up with this on the spot. For any of you who want to know, there will be dueling in this fic just not in this first chapter. There will be in the next one. Please don't judge me on my only semi-hit Team Zero. I am trying to break a new with this story. Any one, every one. Please give me a review.  
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	2. Keepers arrive

Chapter 2: Keepers arrive

Kaira stared up at the man, frozen in horror at this beast of a man that stood before her. She wanted to look for an escape but she was sure that if she made a move that this monstrous man would seize her and keep her. Well actually she was sure that was going to happen anyways.

She started to scoot backwards slowly on her butt trying to put some distance between her and the man. His cold glaring eyes though caught every movement and knew what she was trying to do.

"So little girl, you want to get away from me?" He curled his lips up into a smile that told Kaira that he was serious. "Too bad for you that before this night is over I am going to get some." He cocked his eyebrow at her. "And lookie here! I have a little slut that will do it for me. Come here pretty." He commanded as he started to reach out to grab her.

"NO!" Her scream echoed through out the entire community that she was in. Too bad for her that few people lived here and because of the crime rate, no one cared anymore. She was helpless, at the mercy of this man who was going to take her.

"Yes, it is always more pleasant when they squirm." He said as he grabbed a hold of her forearm. Slowly he started to pull her upwards towards him.

Kiro's eyes jerked open. He looked down from the tree he was sitting above this whole scene.

"Fine." He sighed out and jumped out of the tree.

"What?" The big man looked up as he heard the tree rustle. By the time he got his head cranked upwards to see what was going on a leather clad fist was drilled into his face. As one sudden jerk the whole man's body shot backwards and he crashed to the ground.

Kaira, who had been squeezing her eyes shut, slowly opened them. She blinked a few times in shock as Kiro pulled his fist out of the man's face. She watched as he readjusted the leather glove on his right hand.

"How dare you." The man said as he got up. He wiped the blood out from under his nose and glared at Kiro.

"Poor, poor Jiruku. You never will lean." Kiro remarked as he cracked the knuckles on both hands.

"Kiro!" Jiruku's reaction was just what Kiro was waiting for. "What...What are you doing here?"

"I was trying to ditch this girl who has been following me." He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder at Kaira who was pulling herself together.

"Ah your bitch huh?" Jiruku's voice had a new sense of confidence in it. "The mighty Kiro has himself a whore!" Almost yelling it he suddenly froze when Kiro gave him a colder darker stare.

"Wait," Kaira walked up to Kiro so that she was slightly behind him. "You knew that I was following you?" This caused a disgruntled reaction in Kiro. He sighed and his head slightly dropped to one side.

"Yes. Ever since that poor attempt to hid in those bushes after school."

"It makes no difference to me now. I just want the girl and you can go on your marry way." Jiruku's began to move towards the two of them again but doubled over in pain as a fist came hurling into his gut.

Standing over the man, Kiro had gone under some sort of transformation. He held up his glove hand revealing that one of the orbs was shining. The black one had lit up and was glowing as if a flash light were shining through it. Kiro had also physically changed. His hair was pitch black. He revealed that his eyes were no longer there reddish brown but solid black. His skin, even though it was dark out and only the light from the street lamp casted across the boy, Kaira could see that it had shifted to a darker shade. Like a tan but not really.

'Kiro' lifted his hand up and cracked all the joints in his hand effortlessly. Licking his lips slightly he kicked the big man in the ribs rolling the man over. Jiruku's breathing became harder and he coughed out some blood that landed in the ground.

"Ready for the end of this?" 'Kiro' asked as he cracked the joints in the other hand the same way he did with his first hand.

"No...wait." Jiruku pleaded. "Maybe we can trade. I would give my car!" Kaira watched as 'Kiro's' eyes literally went blank but a second later they were filled with life again and he shook his head.

"That is an old beat up piece of crap. It isn't worth as much your head on a silver platter lined in gold and diamonds. Let's put it there shall we?"

"Then how about a bet?" Jiruku asked as he stood up. "The rumor is that you are good at this game." Reaching into his pocket, Jiruku revealed a deck of playing cards. They happened to be Duel Monster cards. "The rumors say that when you duel, you are undefeated."

"Well then the rumors are right." Kiro said, now with his normal dark green hair and reddish brown eyes. "I have never lost because I play hard. I doubt that you are ready to be in my league yet."

"So your scared?" Jiruku mocked as he pulled a duel disk that was hidden in a nearby bush out. It was the latest model of Kaiba corps. standard duel disk. "I can see that you are."

"Fine." Kiro said walking over to the base of the tree he was sitting in before he attack. Punching it a backpack fell out and Kiro caught it with no problem. Opening it he retrieved his own duel disk which was also the latest model. "I will play you but you will lose."

"What makes you so sure?" Jiruku asked as he inserted a shuffled deck of cards into the deck slot.

"Trust me." Kiro also slipped a deck of shuffled cards into the correct slot. "My turn first. I draw!" Kiro announced as he pulled six cards off his deck.

Kiro-4000 LP  
Jiruku-4000 LP

"I will now seal your fate in the valley of the dead. Watch me as I activate the field magic card Necrovalley!" A side slot opened up on Kiro's duel disk and he placed a card inside it.

Jiruku looked around as the hologram of a large valley formed all around them in the small and darkened alleyway. Large steep rock walls formed all around them that stretched up towards the sky. Jiruku jerked as he felt the holographic pressure push him up. Looking down he was standing on a small circular rock formation. Kiro was also standing on this formation.

"I finish off by playing Gravekeeper Spear Soldier (1500/1000)!" An Egyptian man appeared in front of Kiro. He wore a black set of clothing and a sneer on his face. He flipped an Egyptian looking spear around in his hand effortlessly then slammed the butt of it into the ground. "Necrovalley increases it's power by 500 points (2000/1500). That is my turn."

"Wow, 2000 power." Jiruku drew the top card and looked at it. "I set two face down magical traps." Two brown back cards appeared just barley in front of the man. "I summon a monster known as KA-2 Des Scissors (1000/1000) in attack mode and end my turn."

A blueish crab machine appeared in front of the two brown backed cards. It snapped it's metal pincers at Kiro and his monster menacingly. On each of it's claws was printed 'Ka-2' in golden letters.

"Your monster doesn't scare me." Kiro smirked as a card was pulled off his deck. Smiling he slid it into the magic and trap zones on his duel disk. "I set one card face down and play the magic card Mystical Space Typhoon! This will destroy the card on your right!"

Jiruku glared coldly as one of his face down cards was blown up by a swirling wind. The card was caught up in the tornado and revealed it was a Limiter Removal. The card hologram started to crumple up and finally broke apart in the wind.

"Good." Kiro smirked coldly. "Spear Soldier attack his Scissors! Spear Stab!" The black clothed monster jumped up from where it stood and ran across the field screaming a battle cry.

"Reveal seconded down card. Go my second Limiter Removal! This magic card doubles the attack of all machine monsters in play (2000/1000)."

The spear man stabbed through the machine and tried to pull back to get away but the spear was lodged in the circuitry. A look of panic fled over the monsters face as the machine began to beep and rattle. A second latter the blue machine exploded taking the warrior down with it.

"My monster destroyed your monster so I inflict damage to you equal to your monster star level x500. So ha!"

Kiro-2000 LP  
Jiruku-4000 LP

"Fine, I will double the Dian Keto the Cure Master to gain back the 2000 you made me lose and end my turn." Kiro said as hid duel disk beeped indicating a life point change.

Kiro-4000 LP  
Jiruku-4000 LP

"I draw." Jiruku pulled the top card off his deck. _"Wow, they said this guy was really good. I haven't seen a good move out of him yet." _Jiruku smiled and set a card down on his duel disk. "I summon Shining Abyss (1600/1800) in attack mode."

A large blue and white monster appeared on the field. It was hovering slightly off the ground and looked around with it's sun looking eye.

"Reveal down trap." Kiro pointed to his set card. It flipped up to reveal a card with the image of more black clothed men reaching up to a large statue of a snake. "Rite of Spirit allows me to bring back a gravekeeper and it isn't affected by Necrovalley."

The spear wielding warrior found his way to the field in no time at all (2000/1500).

"Fine then I end my turn." Jiruku tried to keep calm but Kiro was walking right into what he wanted him to do. In his hand he looked at the Black Luster Soldier-Envoy of the Beginning. This monster, after removing from the graveyard a light and a dark monster, will give Jiruku a serious attack advantage.

Kiro slid the card off the top of his deck and looked at what it was. He thought about it for a second and decided to go ahead with playing it.

"I play Gravekeeper Curse (800/800) which will deal you 500 life points of damage right off the bat. Then he gains power from Necrovalley (1300/1300)."

Kiro-4000 LP  
Jiruku-3500 LP

"Now Spear Soldier attacks your fairy monster with Spear Slam!" Kiro pointed to the hovering monster and the spear man flew across the field screaming it's battle cry again. This time though, the spear went straight through the best and came back out. Smiling the Spear Soldier jumped up and did a back flip to Kiro's field. The monster faded out of existence.

Kiro-4000 LP  
Jiruku-3100 LP

"And Gravekeeper's Curse. Curse his life points with a direct attack!" Kiro pointed and the staff wielding monster twirled it around for a second before sending out purple streams of smoke at the bully. Jiruku screamed as the smoke blasted him.

Kiro-4000 LP  
Jiruku-1800 LP

"Turn end." Kiro glared at the bully as he rubbed his chest were the attack had blasted him.

"I draw then." He looked at his hand. "I will summon Black Luster Soldier-Envoy of the Begining by removing from the graveyard the light and the dark monster you sent there yourself. See? You screwed yourself in this duel." Jiruku laughed as he waited for his graveyard to spit out the monsters. He frowned when they didn't come.

"Wrong. I had the whole field protected." Kiro remarked to the angry Jiruku. "My Necrovalley stops any effects that effect the graveyard. Don't you remember when I played Rite of Spirit? I said it wasn't affected by Necrovalley."

"Then...I must end my turn." Jiruku had no other monsters in his hand other than his Chaos soldier.

Drawing a card, Kiro looked almost disappointed. "I thought I was going to have a little fun in this duel. You were a pathetic opponent. I sacrifice Gravekeeper's Curse to summon Gravekeeper Chief (1900/1200)(2400/1700) in attack mode." The all powerful leader of the Gravekeepers' appeared on the field and held his snake staff out towards Jiruku.

"No way!"

"Sorry but...ATTACK!" Kiro ordered and the monster jumped across the field jabbing the staff into the man's chest pushing him backwards so that he fell over.

Kiro-4000 LP  
Jiruku-0 LP

"Now get!" Kiro waved his hand motioning for Jiruku to leave.

Jiruku didn't waste any more time. He nodded and took off running down the street until he rounded a corner. Kiro smiled as the footsteps of him running drew farther and farther away. Slowly he deactivated his duel disk and removed his deck. Shuffling it he stuck it into a pocket on his backpack and slipped his duel disk inside the back pack. Then he turned to face Kaira.

Kaira took a step backwards because he looked pleasantly pissed with her. He had a dark look in his eye and a frown on his face. He took a few steps towards her.

"Wait...are you going to hurt me?" She asked as he sneered.

"Well, there is an idea. But..." Kiro turned and put his back pack on. "If it wasn't for us you wouldn't have been lead into this freak shows neighborhood. We will let you leave in one piece." Kiro watch her just stare at her blankly for a few seconds. "NOW!" He pointed down the street.

"Now hold on!" Kaira stamped her foot into the ground. "What gives you the right to order me around?" She demanded angerly.

Kiro growled angerly as the black orb on his glove started to shimmer for a second. Slowly Kiro started to change again. His hair turned pitch black and so did his eyes. His skin became darker and much more muscular. He made a quick move and got right up in her face. He snarled at her.

"I do." His voice was much darker and more gruff now. Something about this 'Kiro' sent shivers down Kaira's spine. This Kiro seemed to be a whole different person. Darker, colder, more ruthless.

"I came cause..." Kaira tried to step back but 'Kiro' mimicked the movement to stay right in her face. "...I wanted to talk to you."

"I don't talk." 'Kiro' growled and snorted like a bull in her face.

"Why?" Kaira almost regretted asking a second after the words rolled off her lips.

"Oh that is it girl." 'Kiro' cracked his knuckle and grabbed her arm. "You've pissed me off."

"HEY!" Kaira yelled and grabbed his hand with her free hand. His grip was unrelenting. She could feel her arm already numb from the lack of blood. He was actually going to hurt her.

Suddenly, the grip loosened and he let go. His arm dropped to his side. Kaira noticed that he had taken another change. His hair was sky blue and his eyes were a soft yellow color. His skin was actually lighter than when she first met 'Kiro' that day at school.

"Kiro?" Kaira asked as she grabbed her numb arm.

"Go girl. I will hold him at bay." 'Kiro' said. This time she didn't hesitate. She started running till there was some distance between her and him.

"Wait. Could you tell me where you live? I will come by and talk to you there." Kaira asked, hoping that she could at least get and answer. _"With his parents around he can't hurt me. Unless he is homeless and has no parents!"_

"Oh ok. We live up at that shrine on the mountain." 'Kiro' smiled and pointed to a hill the stood looking over the city.

"Thanks." Kaira said and began to run again. Looking over her shoulder she watched as 'Kiro' face planted. It looked as if some invisible hand had hit him forward. Thinking this was odd enough she just kept running.

* * *

Kaira laid in a bathtub full of bubbles. She stared up at the white ceiling and sighed. Her first day of school was lovely. First of all; she didn't even want to be here. Second, she learns of a strange kid that thirdly; creped her out worse that night in the alley.

Of course Kaira got the third degree from her father and her brother. She told them that she was just out meeting the kids in this area and that she thinks she now knows which kids are ok to hang out with and which kids are 'rotten apples' as her father put it.

Kaira wasn't sure now if Kiro fell into the 'ok' or the 'rotten apple' department. He seemed all 'knight inn shining armor' when he saved her in the alleyway but then he went evil on her after he won that duel. Then...he changed back. This was all to confusing for her.

"And what was with that we and us he kept saying." She closed her eyes. "Then once he 'changed' he started saying I. Wow this kid is strange. I will go and see him tomorrow after school."

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And what do you think. Please give me any and every amount of your opinion. How can I change it, or my writing to make it better.

John: What does that mean?  
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	3. History Told, Past Revealed

Chapter 3: History Told, Past Revealed

_("Someone needs to learn to keep his mouth shut!") _Heruru growled inside Kiro's head and again gave Hebanu another mental punch in the head. _("Now that girl knows everything about us!")_

_("Just let it go Heruru. She is no threat to us.")_ Kooru said sitting in a meditative state in Kiro's mind.

Kiro just growled at this. He was walking to school that next day after that night in the alley. He hated it, if Kooru said to forget about her then she must not be a threat. He just hated hearing it from him. Kooru had a lot of respect from Kiro but he had to disagree with him this once.

_("She is a sweet girl. You guys are just--")_ Hebanu's thoughts trailed off as another mental thud came from Heruru.

_"I will have to go with Heruru on this. I don't care if she is a threat or not, she knows too much."_ Kiro thought back to the three of them. He could feel Hebanu's mental frown at him. Out of all the 'voices' in his head, he had the least respect for Hebanu.

_("Right Kiro.")_ Heruru replied to him. _("We can't jepordise our getting back into our bodies. Any little information leaked like that and we could be locked in here forever! Or worse, lost souls drifting the world.") _They heard him sigh. _("And with the trails approaching soon. I hope.")_

_("Stop panicking.")_ Kooru replied in his normal calm manner. _("Kiro is strong enough, especially with our help, to keep us safe until the time comes to return to our bodies.")

* * *

_

Ami jaw dropped almost to the floor. She reached out and touched Kaira's face and shoulders. She was in complete and udder shock.

"Your alive!" She stammered out.

"Yea." Kaira rubbed the back of her head. "For a while last night I didn't think I was going to be."

"So he did attack you!"

"Well...Yes and no. A bully named Jiruku actually was threatening to make me his personal slut or something. To be honest, I would have been if Kiro hadn't come out of nowhere and saved me."

"Kiro? --We are talking about the same Kiro? Kiro Rinku?"

"I am talking about that Kiro." Kaira pointed to the door as the green haired kid walked through the door. He looked around a bit before he spotted Kaira and Ami. He quickly made a move towards them.

"Woman." Kiro said as he got to them. "You don't remember anything from last night. Am I right?" Kiro glared at her with a threatening look.

"The name is Kaira! Not woman." Gasps could be heard from all around the lobby area. Ami covered her mouth and stepped back slightly. "--And no. I don't remember anything from last night." She hated to say it but she feared that even in this public setting, he wouldn't hesitate to attack her.

"And Miss Bitsuchi, I trust you have heard nothing of this right?" Kiro glared at her. She shook her head 'no' quickly. Her eyes were filled with fear. "Good." He quickly turned and walked away down the hallway.

_"I don't remember you being like a jerk for too long last night."_ Kaira jumped back with the response in her mind.

Ami just looked at her dumbfounded. Kaira looked at her new friend for a few seconds for shrugging.

"How...did you get away with talking like that...to him!" She sputtered out. "You should be dead at this point!"

"I don't know." Kaira looked down the hall after Kiro.

* * *

The rest of the day went by quickly for Kaira. This time after school she walked home first. Dropping off her backpack and bookwork and told her father that she would be out for a while tonight. Then she set off again, this time for the mountain.

After climbing up stone stairs she noticed that a lot of old signs were posted here. Most of them said 'Turn back now' and 'Go away' and all of them were shot up with bullet holes. The fingers of chills ran down her spine but she continued to press on to the top of the mountain.

Kaira was very impressed at the temple like shrine in a crater about 3/4 the way up the mountain. It was well hidden and had a great overview of the city. Kaira started to walk down into the crater to the temple.

"HALT!" Kaira's hands shot up into the air as she felt the cold barrel of a gun press against the thin fabric of her shirt. A look of fear washed over her face. "What business do you have here intruder?"

"I...was looking for Kiro. Kiro Rinku." Kaira stammered out. "I wanted to talk to him."

"Kiro never gets visitors. He isn't allowed any." The gun holder, an elderly man, said. He pressed the gun more into her back. She stepped forward slightly to this motion.

"Why not?" She asked trying not to seem threatening with her words.

"He just isn't." The man replied.

"Man. Just let her go. She is no threat and she has come in contact with us before." A calm and tranquil voice came across the temple.

"Kooru? This is different for you to say that someone isn't threatening." The man said looking at Kiro but with silver hair and cold gray eyes.

_"Kooru? I thought it was Kiro." _Kaira looked out of the corner of her eye as the man removed the gun from her back. She turned around slowly to see the man.

He was about a foot shorter than her and was wearing white robes. He was bald all over his head and it was very well shined. Little slips of paper were plastered to the front of his robes that had some righting in a language Kaira didn't understand.

"Well, go see him. And make it quick." The man said. "Kooru." He turned to the boy. "Could you let Kiro take over for a while. I know that it is your turn at being out for now but..."

"Say no more. I was sick of being out anyways." Kooru replied and slowly the orb on the glove died in color leaving the green haired kid standing in front of her.

"Kaira was it?" Kiro asked rather rudely. He motioned for her to have a sit on a bench that was sitting between two trees.

"Yes it is." Kaira replied as she sat down. Kiro leaned up against the tree next to her but not too close to her.

"What do you want...Kaira?"

"I wanted to thank you. For saving me last night."

"Save you? We just didn't mean to lead you into that ass holes territory. It was our fault that you were there. Plus, I was going to be the one to do any damage to you if you continued to follow us."

"Us, we. You talk as if there are more of you. That man also called you Kooru. What is that all about?" Kaira asked. That question had been burning at her since last night.

"You don't need to know." Kiro snapped back.

"Kiro." The man said disappointingly as he walked up to the two of them. "She did ask you a question. With as much as she knows already I see no point in trying to hide much more from her. Kooru thinks her no threat."

"You always like Kooru best." Kiro said disgusted. "Fine. Tell her anything you want. I'll go whip up the banners so we can post it all over the city." Kiro walked off towards the temple. They both knew that he wasn't serious.

"You'll have to excuse him. He has a heart that is cold and hard after time. He is forbidden by the ancient scriptures to have any friends. He is only allowed to go to school to get the education he needs to survive in this world. For the time draws nearer and nearer."

"Time for what?"

"The spirits to return to there true bodies. See, Kiro's family is charged with guarding the spirits of three ancient people. Neither the scriptures or they will tell you what they are. The three of them, Kooru is the one that was the one in charge when you first arrived. He is a calm and tranquil spirit. His relaxed nature and his tactical knowledge makes him devastating in battle."

"Kooru huh? I had never met him before I arrived here. I met two others and Kiro himself. I think. One was really angry and the other was really nice."

"Heruru and Hebanu. Brothers and they show it every day. Heruru is the angry one that you met. He is a violent tempered spirit that doesn't hesitate to rip the heads off anyone or anything he wants. Hebanu is a sweet and kind spirit. He likes to be kind and help people. He is completely despised by his brother and Kiro. I am not sure about Kooru, he doesn't mention whether he likes or hates Hebanu or Heruru for that matter."

"Spirits." Kaira looked up to the sky. "That is something you...don't hear every day. Not too long ago I don't think I would have believed you. But I have seen them. When the orbs shines!" She looked at the man who nodded. He then moved and sat down next to the girl.

"The orbs hold there spirits. They all must share Kiro's body till the trials come." The man sighed and looked down at the ground.

"Trials?" Kaira looked at the man who just stared at the ground.

"Yes. To restore the spirits to their bodies which are buried here at this temple. Ten trials must be met and passed. The only things we know about these trials is they will include the game of Duel Monsters and will start on a night of the full moon when the moon is the color of frozen blue." He looked over to her. "That is why Kiro is like that. Each month when the full moon comes he gets really tense. He must brace himself for these tests."

"The full moon. That is next week!" Kaira said thinking about that. "And these trails are duels?"

"Yes, are you a duelist?" The man asked changing his tone to be a little less serious.

"Oh yes I am but I am not that good. I saw Kiro duel last night. He used a Gravekeeper deck and he won quickly."

"That is true. His family has passed down that deck. It is his sworn duty to use it to pass the trails. Reading the scriptures, the trails are coming in his time. We just don't know when. So he must learn as much as he can about that deck. See the game of Duel Monsters allows a duelist to build a deck of cards. These cards will be at there strongest when the cards and the soul of the duelist are one. This deck has been strongets in Kiro's hands."

"Oh."

Wind blew slowly through the trees making them rustle. Some of the dirt on the ground swirled up in a mini twister that caused Kaira to look up. Kiro was standing against a pillar of the temple. He was glaring at her with a set of hate filled eyes.

"He hates it that people know the truth. He may not come back alive from these trials." The man said.

"And you must not repeat any of it." Kiro said angerly as he walked up to the two of them. "It is bad enough that this bitch knows this much."

"Kiro." The man was using a very displeased voice.

"I am sorry grandfather but she has no right. I don't see her in the scriptures anywhere!" He retaliated to him.

"That may not be true. The scriptures do indicate that when the trails are held, a strong soul accompanies the warrior as he battles." Kiro's grandfather said as he pulled himself to his feet. Kaira stood up too.

"Yes, how do you know that it is her? What if it is one of the spirits and not a randome girl off the streets?" Kiro snapped at the old man.

"We shall see."

"I am sorry. I should be on my way. I didn't mean to be too nosy. If I knew I would find out this stuff I never would have tried to get the truth." Kaira bowed to them and walked over to the stairs. She walked down them to the base of the mountain.

"Please, she doesn't have a strong soul. She is the weakest person I have ever met." Kiro growled and walked back to the temple, his hair changing to a silver color as he walked.

"When the time comes we shall see who has the strongest soul of all." The Grandfather replied to himself as he looked out over the town.

* * *

Kairawas taking her time walking home. There was a lot of things circling in her head. What if this is all true, what if they were pulling her leg. The more she thought about it the more far fetch it seemed to get. Her, Kaira Burue, had a boring normal life until her mother died. Then she had to meet the craziest family in the entire world.

She continued to walk until she was stopped by a police officer. She had been too deep in thought to notice she was walking towards a building lined with police tape and police cars with lights flashing. Spot lights were aimed up to the top floor of the building.

"What's going on." Kaira asked the officer who stepped aside as a man in a black suit walked up. He wore a black hat and he had a pair of sunglasses sticking out of his pocket.

"I am Police Chief Captain Herold. There is a mad man up on the top floor of the building with a hostage. We are trying to get him to comply with us but he only wants one thing and we are not sure of what to do about it." Herold spoke to her.

"What does he wa--" Kaira was cut off as the man shouted from the top story of the building.

"Dammit! Get me the kid named Kiro Rinku!" The man that Kaira recognized stuck his head out of the window slightly. "Get him here now or this little girl here gets the brains blown out of her head."

"Jiruku!" Kaira covered her mouth with a gasp of his name.

"You know him?" Herold asked looking at her surprised. "And do you know this Kiro he is talking about?"

"Yes and I know where he is. I will go and get him!" Kaira said almost in a panic. She turned around and ran off back in the direction of the mountain.

"Good. You." Herold pointed to the officer. "Tell him to wait that Kiro is coming. Try not to get the girl killed."

Kaira ran for all she was worth. Her legs burned and sweet poured off her. She had to make it though, she just had to. Someone's life was in danger.

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There. Please tell me what you people think. I am wanting your honest opinions on this story. IT WON'T GET BETTER TILL YOU VOICE YOUR OPINION TO ME! Now that you know a little back history.

To LucienShadow Master: Okay.

To Goddess IANAW: Yes those weird named things talking to Kiro are the spirits. I believe that it is guys who will never figure out gals. (sigh) It is a never ending cycled trying to understand the opposite sex.

To John: I know what I said, I just didn't like your tone of voice. To be honest, I don't know what type of deck she will have.  
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	4. Kiro the Gravekeeper

Chapter 4: Kiro the Gravekeeper

The climb up the mountain was much harder and grueling this time. Kairahad ran all the way to the mountain then up it. Exhaustion swelled over her but she had to keep going. She finally reached the top and fell down into the crater where the shrine is located.

"And why are you back?" A gruff voice asked as a shadow casted over Kaira's panting body.

"Kiro...need...help." She panted as she still laid on the ground. All she could see were a pair of old worn tennis shoes coming towards her.

"No he doesn't." 'Kiro' said as he helped her to sit up. She could see that his hair was a silver color with dark gray eyes.

"...are you Kooru?" Kaira asked catching her second wind.

"Yes." Kooru said as he pulled Kaira to her feet. "So, what is going on." Kaira was still breathing hard but she manage to spit out the situation to Kooru. Kooru was very kind and patient listening to the story.

"...and you see." Kaira came to the finish. "Jiruku has a hostage and demands to see Kiro."

"Mortals." Kooru shook his head. "Fine, lets go." Kooru and Kaira ran down the mountain again.

* * *

They rounded the corner to the building where Jiruku was hiding out. The police were still looking up to the top window. Herold smiled and ran over to Kaira when she came into view.

"So is this Kiro?" He asked almost demandingly

"Yes." Kooru, who was still in control, responded for her. "Let me in the front door." He demanded and Herold pointed to the front door. Kooru ran to the door and burst through.

Kooru walked up to a stair case and began to climb up them. Once up them he rounded a corner and went up a second set of stairs. He seemed deep in thought.

_"Heruru, I belive that you would be to rash so that is why you will not take control." _Kooru contemplated to the angry voice in his head.

"Kooru..." A whispered voice came from behind the boy as he walked up a set of stairs. The silver haired boy swiveled around in a defensive manner to face the sweet blond haired girl. "Kaira! What are you doing here?"

"I am coming too." She said putting her foot down. "Let's go."

"It is too dangerous." Kooru said putting his hand on her shoulder. "Turn back and go home."

"Sorry but I am not leaving you or...who ever else is in that head of yours." Kaira protested.

"No. You are not coming." Kooru protested and stepped back down a step.

Kaira and Kooru jumped as a gunshot was heard echoing through the building and the street below. A females' scream could be heard echoing after the gun shot.

No more words were spoken between Kaira and Kooru as they ran up the stairs as quickly as possible. They came bursting through a door to see a smoking barrel of a gun in Jiruku's hand. On the ground was a short brown haired girl lay with a small puddle of blood forming under her body.

Kaira gasped and placed her hands over her mouth as she recognized the girl.

"AMI!" Kaira screamed brining the attention of Jiruku to her. He smiled wickedly as he saw who he believed to be Kiro.

"Oh Kiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrooooooooo." Jiruku said walking towards the two of them. The gun pointed to them. "We have a score to settle." He revealed his arm showing a duel disk.

"So you shot an innocent girl just to play some stupid card game?" Kooru asked cocking an eyebrow. "Very bad move."

_("Kooru.")_ Kiro's voice echoed in Kooru's head. _("Let me take over. I am the duelist here.") _

"Right Kiro." Kooru responded back and closed his eyes. His silver hair slowly changed to a dark green color. Opening his eyes to reveal there normal brownish red color.

Kaira ran over to the girl's body. Tears were swelling up in here eyes.

"Ami no. Don't be dead." Kaira pleaded as she got to Ami's body. Rolling it over to see her face she saw that Ami's eyes were slightly opening.

"...Kaira...?" Ami asked weakly.

"Ami, your alive!" Kaira said giving her a hug.

"He...just shot my...shouler." Ami said grabbing her left shoulder.

Kaira set Ami gently on her back and ran to the window. Sticking her head out she was blinded by a spot light that was focused on the window.

"HEROLD! GET AN AMBULANCE!" She screamed down to the street below. Herold nodded and whispered into a policeman's ear.

"Go to hell." Kiro said calmly as Jiruku's duel disk activated. "I don't do anything people tell me to do."

"Wrong answer." Jiruku pointed the gun to Kaira this time. "Duel or your bitch will die."

"Go ahead." Kiro said shrugging. "I don't care about her." Kaira face dropped at hearing this.

"WHAT!" She screamed at him. "You are supposed to do the nobal thing and save the girl." She yelled as she kneeled down by Ami. "Now get to work and save us."

"Shove it bitch." Kiro spit back. Then he turned back to facing Jiruku. "Fine." He sighed. "We shall duel again and you shall lose again."

"Too the roof." Jiruku ordered and pointed to a stair case that led up to the roof. "Now."

Sighing again, Kiro activated the duel disk on his arm that he grabbed before he left the shrine and walked up the stairs. Once on the roof he positioned himself at one end and looked across to Jiruku who had shoved the gun into his pocket.

"Let's duel." He demanded as he pulled the cards off his deck. "I am first."

Kiro-4000 LP  
Jiruku-4000 LP

"Feel the power of this. I summon Ancient Lamp (900/1400) in defense mode. With its ability I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp (1800/1000)." On the field a golden colored lamp appeared. It started shaking violently and a trail of green smoke shot out of the hole and formed into an over buffed genie monster.

"So what is so special about that?" Kiro asked.

"I know that all your precious Gravekeepers' have weak attacks that are below basically 1500. So with strong monsters I will win! I set one card face down and end my turn." Jiruku announced as a brown backed card appeared behind the genie floating out of the lamp.

"Then I draw." Kiro announced as he pulled the sixth card off his deck. Looking at it he frown for a second. "I set one monster in face down defense mode. End turn."

Jiruku snapped the next card off his deck and looked it over. He smiled slightly before placing it on his duel disk.

"I summon a monster known as Dark Blade (1800/1500) in attack mode." A pitch black suit of armor appeared next to the genie monster and its lamp. It raised its sword towards the brown backed cards. "Attack defense monster now!" Jiruku pointed to the brown card on Kiro's field.

The monster rammed its sword down on the card only to be pushed back to Jiruku's field. The force of light force the card to flip over and reveal a woman monster in robes crouching down.

"That was Gravekeeper's Spy (1200/2000). She has 2000 defense points so she could withstand your attack. Plus she lets me summon one monster from my deck with Gravekeeper in their name. I summon Gravekeeper's Curse (800/800) in attack mode. He deals you 500 points of damage for being special summoned." Kiro recited as if it were a pointless matter.

Kiro-4000 LP  
Jiruku-3300 LP

"Fine, go La Jinn! Attack the Curse monster!" Jiruku growled out pointing to his green genie monster. Smiling, the genie cupped it's hands and shot a ray of rainbow colored sparkles towards the black robed man with the curved staff.

Kiro-3000 LP  
Jiruku-3300 LP

"There you go. I gave you a head start. My move." Kiro smugly said pulling the card off his deck. "It is time to seal you away again. I play the field magic card Necrovalley!" The high stone wall holograms burst up from the ground all around them. Kiro and Jiruku were pushed up onto round stone platforms that raised them up slightly.

"Not this again." Jiruku looked around annoyed at this.

"I sacrifice my Gravekeeper's Spy (1700/2500) to summon Gravekeeper's Chief (1900/1200)(2400/1700)." A Egyptian man appeared on the field flipping around in his hands a staff that had a serpent's head on it. His robes were white and black in color and his skin was dark brown. "When he is summon I get to pull a Gravekeeper back from the grave. I chose Gravekeeper's Curse (1300/1300) in defense mode. He will deal you 500 more points of damage." The said robed man appeared kneeling down next to the chief.

Kiro-3000 LP  
Jiruku-2800 LP

"Next my Chief will attack your Dark Blade!" Kiro pointed to the monster. Flying across the field the snake staff was drilled through the armor of the black monster.

Kiro-3000 LP  
Jiruku-2200 LP

* * *

Kaira watched as they loaded Ami on a stretcher. She smiled at the fact that Ami would be okay now that she had some help.

_"Kiro is dueling right now. I had better go to support him."_ Kaira though to herself as she walked up the stairs that led to the roof.

She opened the door to see the hologram of the Necrovalley covering the field with large stone walls. She walked up so she was behind Kiro but not in his way.

"Win this Kiro." She shouted through cupped hands. Kiro jumped slightly and glared at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Shut up wench." He brought his head back to the dueling ring. "I end my turn."

"Then I draw." Jiruku pulled the top card of his deck. "I was waiting till you played Necrovalley. Now I can get rid of it, and you once and for all. Watch as from my hand I activate the field magic card Mystic Plasma Zone!"

A burst of wind came out of nowhere blowing the stone walls apart into small chunks of rocks. Slowly, dark clouds formed over the heads of both of the duelists and started swirling around.

"Mystic Plasma Zone gives all dark type monsters 500 attack points." Jiruku smiled. (Gravekeeper's Chief 2400/700)(Gravekeeper's Curse 1300/400)(La Jinn 2300/600). "But Now I sacrifice my Ancient Lamp to summon Summoned Skull (2500/1200)(3000/800)!" A large bone monster rose up from the spot where the golden lamp once was. It let out a horrible screeching noise as it grew in size and power.

"Shit." Kiro mumbled as he looked at the two beasts.

"I reveal my down card. Go Stop Defense! I change your Curse to attack mode!" The little robed man stood up and placed his hands opposite ways on his staff. "Go Summoned Skull, Lightning Strike his Chief! Then my Jinn, attack his Curse!" Jiruku yelled and pointed to Kiro's minimal defenses.

The skull roared and shot out a burst of lightning that engulfed the robed man. Humanly screams could be heard as the monster was destroyed. Right next to him, the Gravekeeper's Curse screamed as he was engulfed in a stream of lights.

Kiro-1400 LP  
Jiruku-2200 LP

"I" Jiruku sounded it out slowly, "end my turn."

_"Screw him. I have nothing that strong in this deck. The strongest Gravekeeper is Chief and he is already gone." _Kiro grumbled in his head.

_("True. We must think of a plan.")_ Kooru's voice echoed back. _("He is no where smart enough to have thought of everything.")_

_("Ditch this dueling and let me rip his throat out!")_ Heruru yelled at Kiro.

_"Now now, just let me take care of this."_

Sliding the card off his deck he place it face down.

"I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"Ok." Jiruku had already pulled the next card off his deck. "Time to attack. Go La Jinn! Attack his defense!" Cupping its hands the monster shot out a rainbowed colored stream the hid the down card. A burly man popped up holding a long staff.

"Gravekeeper's Guard (1000/1900)(1500/1400) will return to your hand Summoned Skull before he heads to the graveyard." The man faded out of existence as did the large skull monster.

"Fine, I sacrifice La Jinn to summon back my Skull!" Lightning erupted off the bones of the large monster as it reappeared. "End turn."

Kiro growled deep in his throat. He pulled the top card off his deck and growled even louder. 

"Dammit! Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier (1500/1000) isn't strong enough to do anything against his 3000 attack monster." Sliding the card into his hand he pulled out a card next to it. "I play Pot of Greed to draw two cards." He sighed as he place his fingers on his deck. _"Heruru, if I don't get anything good I will let you rip his throat out."_

_("Promise?") _

"I promise. Now." Kiro slowly pulled the two cards off his deck. His eyes widened as he saw a trail of light being left by the cards. The cards themselves had a strange white aura around them for a second. Flipping the cards over his eyes widened. _"I never had these cards! In fact I know that there are no such Gravekeeper cards!" _

"Play your damn cards already." Jiruku impatiently tapping his foot on the ground.

"Fine. I will try it at least. I summon Gravekeeper Kiro (1800/1100)!" A monster with no shirt appeared on the field. His pants were made of the same black cloth material as the other Gravekeeper's. He was much more buff than the actual Kiro but his face was exactly the same.

"A...cheap knock off card?" Jiruku asked completely puzzled.

"No and his ability allows me to pull Necrovalley from my hand deck or grave and play it on the field immediately!" The swirling clouds disappeared and the large stone walls once again appeared on the field (2300/1600).

"Even so, he is too weak to beat my Summoned Skull (2500/1200). Even with his boost he is too weak." Jiruku smirked at this fact.

"Sorry but I have one more magic card to play." Kiro said holding up the other card he drew.

"What magic card?" Jiruku asked frightened now.

"It's called Gravekeeper's Muscle Burst! It will double the attack of one Gravekeeper monsters on the field for one turn! Attack Skull now!" Kiro pointed to the Gravekeeper version of himself. It jumped in the air and yelled out in a voice very similar to Kiro's (4600/3200). It twisted itself in the air several times before landing a punch directly in the center of the Skulls face. Roaring in pain the skull broke apart.

Kiro-1400 LP  
Jiruku-100 LP

"Close but no cigar." Jiruku mocked again and prepared to draw a card.

"STOP!" Kiro bellowed across the field. "My monsters ability's activate. When he destroys a monster in battle and inflicts life point damage through that battle. I decrease you life by 200 for every Gravekeeper on my field. I have Kiro himself so you lose this duel!" Kiro smirked as Jiruku's points dropped.

Kiro-1400 LP  
Jiruku-0 LP

"What!" Jiruku was at a loss as the holograms faded away. "I...I...I WILL KILL YOU! YOU BASTARD!" Jiruku ripped the gun out of his pocket and pointed it at Kiro. "DAMN YOU. DIE!" Jiruku pulled back on the trigger and listed as the pleasant sound of the gun echoed through out the night.

The next thing Jiruku knew he was holding a gun with the barrel broken clean off. He was dangling over the edge of the building being held up by a hand wrapped around his throat. Jiruku gasped for air but 'Kiro' didn't seem to show any mercy as he held Jiruku over the edge.

"Ahm...Heruru?" Kaira asked as she ran over to the two of them. "Let him live."

Heruru had taken control of the body and his black hair and solid black eyes showed he was in control. With his inhuman spped he had dodged the bullet and broke the barrel clean off the gun. Wrapping his hand around Jiruku's throat he pushed him back off the edge where he was dangaling now. Kaira heard Jiruku gasp even harder as Heruru squeezed harder.

"Let him go!" Kaira yelled in Heruru's face.

"Bitch, you wish to order me around?" Heruru asked cocking an eyebrow. Reaching out with his free hand he grabbed Kaira's throat and swung her off the edge to join Jiruku.

"Son. Just let them down. ON the building." Police Captain Herold said to Heruru as he came walking up closer to him with his gun drawn pointing towards his head. "Just listen to me."

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Heruru, put them down! Without them, or the girl at least, I lose like half my story!

To john: I don't think so.

To Nanashi: Oh don't worry, I don't take any offense. That just shows me that you are actually reading my work because you noted that and yes you are correct. Right at the end of the school year it is weak after weak of test, projects, and finals. Most of the grammar errors I catch myself in proof reading, that is why my stories had been getting worse. Sorry. Also, could you point out to me where in the last chapter this series of errors came? Just tell me where it starts roughly.

To LucienShadow Master: Or Jiruku won't go home alive.  
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	5. The School Ground Duelist, Chao

Chapter 5: The School Ground Duelist, Chao

Heruru grip tightened on their throats, listening to there gasps for air. Their legs swayed back and forth over the large gap that led down ten stories to the hard concrete below them.

Herold slowly was circling Heruru or as he still knew him as, Kiro. The gun still raised high pointing to Kiro's head.

A cold breeze blew across the roof kicking up dust and a few stray leaves. All was motionless until Heruru jerked suddenly and threw Kaira and Jiruku across the gap to a building of the same height right next to the one they were in.

Kaira rolled a few times before coming to a stop. Grabbing her throat she breathed heavily several times. Looking up she saw that Heruru was still standing on the other building, or it was Kiro! He had taken control again and saved there lives. Jiruku lay unconscious on the ground next to Kaira and she wondered if he was dead.

"Now put your hands up in the air and come peacefully." Herold said still focused on Kiro.

"...wait..." Kaira gasped standing up. "...Don't arrest him."

"He just about killed you!" Herold said in surprise.

"Give him a chance." Kaira was finally getting her wind back but was still breathing very deeply.

"Why?" Herold asked keeping his unwavering eye on Kiro.

"Because he came here to save Ami...the girl." Kaira said walking to the edge of the building. "That must count for something."

"Why are you trying to protect me bitch?" Kiro asked not moving from his spot. "You know I can get out of this myself."

"With Heruru." Kaira said glaring at him. Sighing she turned back to Herold. "Please let him go this time."

"You know I shouldn't." Herold sighed and holstered his gun. "But I will let him go, this time." He turned and walked back towards the door leading downstairs. "Just keep out of trouble, and thanks for your help." His body disappeared down in the blackness of the doorway.

Kaira glared at Kiro who brushed himself off and finally deactivated his duel disk. Pulling out his deck he flipped one of the cards over.

"Gravekeeper Kiro." Kiro said aloud as Kaira looked across the gap. She figured she had no hope of jumping it seeing how wide it was. Kiro stuck his deck back into his duel disk and walked towards the door. Kaira wanted to call after him but decided against it.

The almost full moon rested in the sky above the city casting its glow across every building.

* * *

The rest of the week went by very uneventful. Jiruku was found to still be alive and is in jail for his whole hostage situation. Kiro, and all his spirits, avoided Kaira for the rest of that week but she felt something different about Kiro. After all, it was Kiro himself that had saved Kaira and Jiruku instead of Hebanu or Kooru.

Parking her car, Kaira opened the door and got out. It was Friday, finally and school would be out this entire weekend. Maybe she would see Kiro again.

Kiro's grandpa had said something about the trails starting on a full moon when the moon glowed the color of frozen blue. Kaira didn't know what that meant exactly but she could see Kiro getting even angrier and uptight as it approached all the rest of that week. What if tonight was the night? Tonight was a full moon but would it be the start of the trails?

Walking into the school building she just happen to spot a familiar head looking at her.

"AMI!" Kaira screamed and ran across the lobby to her friend. A large bandage adorned her arm where she had been shot but other than that see seemed to be fine.

"Hey Kaira." Ami responded giving her friend a half hug with her good arm. "Thanks for the other night. You saved my life."

"Barely." Kaira responded finding a table to sit down at with her friend. "If Kiro wasn't there I dont' know what might have happened."

"Yea, Kiro." Ami kind of shyed the name off but grabbed it back into mind. "I heard he tried to kill you and the bully after I was carried out."

"That is...true but not really." Kaira said finding it hard to maintain eye contact.

"Oh." Ami said looked down at her lap. She looked over and moved her arm that was bandaged up. "Too bad I can't participate in Duelist Fridays'"

"Duelist Fridays?" Kaira asked confused. "What's that?"

"Oh, our school every other Friday cuts some time out of there schedule and lets us go out to the fields to duel or just to watch. It is a kind of reward for two long weeks of hard work." Ami said. "I am sure you could get in a few duels."

"Really? That would be great." Kaira's eyes widened up and sparkled with glee at this. She had her deck today and he duel disk in her car. Finally she could duel again, she enjoyed the game like a pass time. She wasn't the best but she never gave up.

Morning classes went as normal but during lunch the announcement came that Duelist Fridays had begun and for duelists to head out to the rings.

Shuffling her deck she walked out onto the fields. Many kids were already dueling and many of the fields were taken. Kaira had to run to her car to grab her duel disk but she returned ready to duel.

Ami and Kaira walked around the fields a few times before they spotted Kiro sitting up in a tree looking off into deep space. They decided to leave him alone and wandered looking for an opponent.

"And my Golem Sentry (800/1800) attacks and wipes out your remaining life points!" A young boy announced as a large golem monster shaped around a large wooden door smacked the opponent with the staff it was holding. The young boy he was dueling against fell down in defeat.

Boy #1-2000 LP  
Boy #2-0 LP

"Good game. You had me for a while there." The winning boy said rubbing the back of his silver colored hair on his head. It was short, spiky, and very messy. He wore a red shirt and some strange baggy red pants. Shuffling up his deck he placed it into his deck slot again. "So who wants to challenge me?" The boy called.

"I will!" Kaira cried and ran over across the field from him. "I am Kaira, I want to duel you."

"Cool." The boy said preparing himself. "I am Chao. Let's duel!" Chao announced as he drew his cards.

Kaira-4000 LP  
Chao-4000 LP

"I will set one monster in defense mode and end my turn." Chao announced as a brown backed card appeared on his field.

Kaira drew her card and slammed it down onto her duel disk. "I summon Kurama (800/800) in attack mode." A strange blue bird monster appeared on Kaira's field screeching. "And I set one card face down. Kurama attacks your defensive monster!" The bird monster flew across the field and ran into the card. Flipping it up to reveal the same golem monster that Chao had used against the last duelist. Golem Sentry (800/1800).

Kaira-3000 LP  
Chao-4000 LP

"Nice try, my turn." Chao announced as he pulled a new card off his deck. "I set one more monster and thanks to the effect of Golem Sentry I can flip him face down once per turn." The golem monster disappeared and was replaced with the brown backed card.

Kaira pulled her next card off her deck and placed it on the field. "I summon Cyber Falcon (1400/1200)!" A large metal bird monster appeared on the field screeching in a mechanical voice at Chao. "Attack his new defender!" The bird monster flew across the field and clawed down on the card revealing a second Golem Sentry.

Kaira-2600 LP  
Chao-4000 LP

"No, how many of those things do you have?" Kaira asked quizzically.

"Three, why? Is it my turn?" Chao asked as Kaira face dropped.

"No, I activate my down card Jar of Greed! I draw one card." Kaira pulled a new card from her deck. "Now I end my turn."

"Good." Chao drew his card from his deck. "I flip summon my Golem Sentry to use its ability to send your Cyber Falcon back to your hand." The mechanical bird monster faded away as Kaira picked up her card. "Next I sacrifice both of my monsters to summon Tri-Horn Dragon (2850/2350)." A large blue dragon monster crouched over with three sharp protruding horns appeared on the field. Roaring the Kurama shook in fear of the massive attack power. "Next comes Rush Recklessly to increase it's attack by 700 points (3550/2350). Attack Kurama!" Blasting a ray of light that had the shape of an arrow, the monster pierced through the blue bird monster. It screamed and squealed as it was destroyed.

Kaira-0 LP  
Chao-4000 LP

"That was pathetic!" Kiro exclaimed jumping out of the tree and walking passed Kaira. "Very sad to watch."

"Now Kiro, she tried her best." Chao exclaimed walking up to Kaira.

"Then she needs to get better." Kiro exclaimed still walking away.

"You want to take me one tough guy?" Chao yelled stopping Kiro dead in his tracks. Turning around Kiro was glaring at Chao and stepped forward.

"Chao..." Kiro started to move closer. "I have more important things to do then waste my time on you." Kiro grumbled and walked away.

"Jerk." Kaira mumbled. "Hey, Chao would you give me the honor of a rematch?"

"Sure." Chao said walking back to his field. "Let's go."

Five duels later...

Kaira-0 LP  
Chao-3000 LP

"Wow Kaira, you are doing better against me. That is the weakest you have ever brought my life points down. Want to go again?" Chao asked shuffling his deck again.

"Fine with me." Kaira shuffled her deck up again and they duel again, and again, and once again.

Kaira-0 LP  
Chao-2500 LP

"Good job that time." Chao announced as he deactivated his duel disk. "You are much better than that first display."

"Thanks." Kaira said blushing slightly.

"No prob. Too bad school is going to be out in about five minutes. I enjoy dueling here at school." Chao removed the duel disk from his arm and stuck it into his back pack.

"Maybe we can duel again sometime." Kaira said removing her duel disk as well.

"That would be great." Chao said as he walked away slowly. He looked back at Kaira and Ami who waved to him as he left.

"Nice..." Ami said in a mockingly smooth manner. "You like him."

"No I don't! He is just a good duelist." Kaira shot back. "I respect that."

"I don't know. Just don't let Kiro know you are cheating on him." Ami said slyly and stepped away from Kaira's physical assault.

"I don't like Kiro." Kaira said trying to shove Ami on her good arm so not to hurt her. "and I don't like Chao."

* * *

Kiro was on his walk home. He was going in a straight line because he sensed no one following him. Grumbling at the voices in his head he had actually lost his sense with the outside world. He didn't even realize that Kaira had snuck up behind him.

"BOO!" She screamed. Kiro jumped a mile off the ground, eye wide in terror. When he hit the ground again he flipped around and tackled her to the ground. Pulling his fist back he prepared to counter-attack his attacker. Stopping in this pose for a few seconds he had her pinned to the ground with his fist raised in the air.

A slight wind blew stirring up some loose leaves on the ground twisting them into a cyclone as the entire street was silent.

"What are you doing that for?" Kiro angrily growled at Kaira as he got up. Brushing himself off he watched Kaira get up and glare at him.

"And why are you so paranoid? It was a joke!"

"Not very funny." Kiro stated and turned to walk away again. "You should find a hobby rather than annoy me."

"But what if tonight is the night?" Kaira asked questionably. "The ten trails you must face."

"Don't you preach to me about the trials." Kiro stopped dead in his tracks flipping around. "I lived on those scriptures. You have no right even speaking of it. Got it bitch."

"But you won't have to face them alone. I will help you...," she looked down to the ground, "just let me."

Kiro walked up to her. Sighing he placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head 'no' before his head flopped down to the ground.

"Listen. I am sure you are a good bitch, but I am not interested. Just leave me alone." He shoved her back so that she stumbled and fell down to the ground. "You don't know anything. This is to dangerous for you to be involved in. These trials may be deadly and I am not going to jeopardies Kooru's, Heruru's, or Hebanu's rebirth into our world. I cannot do that and watch after you at the same time."

Kaira pounced up to her feet and shoved Kiro back. He was broken out of his speech and stumbled back a few steps. "Damn you. Don't you know you aren't supposed to attack a girl? I can look out for myself, why won't you accept my help?" Kaira looked down at the ground. "I am trying to be nice."

"So am I." Kiro growled. "I haven't killed you yet." He looked up at the sky. "Seventeen years of living on the ancient scriptures cannot be ruined. I have waited all my life to get rid of this burden that my family has carried."

"I have a question." A new voice rang in. Both Kaira and Kiro jerked around to see a tall woman standing across the street. Kaira didn't recognize her but Kiro seemed to know her.

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Who is this woman, and why do I have the suspicion Kiro will be sorry he made a bet? Next time.

To John: How about a wind deck?

To Goddess IANAW: Well he didn't and I am very sorry, please forgive me  
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	6. The Great Bet Lab Duel

Chapter 6: The Great Bet Lab Duel

"Good afternoon Kiro Rinku. It has been awhile." The tall woman said as she cross the empty street towards the two of them. She had a long stride with her legs being as long as they were. She wore business pants and a white coat that made her look like a doctor. She had glasses on and her hair was light brown that flowed down a little way passed her shoulders.

"What the hell do you want Katana?" Kiro snapped at her as she reached the opposite side of the street.

"You know why I am here. So how are Heruru, Hebanu, and Kooru?" She asked ignoring Kaira's presence completely.

"They say shove a shovel in up your ass and leave us alone." Kiro growled.

"So you know of them?" Kaira asked getting the woman's attention. "Heruru, Hebanu, and Kooru?"

"Yes, they are three spirits that share Kiro's body." the woman said. "Kiro is there vessel until they can be returned to the world." She then shifted her face to being confused. "And who are you? Does Kiro have a girlfriend?" She shyly asked winking at Kiro.

"Fine." Kiro sighed and turned to be facing between the two women. "Kaira this is Ann Katana. Katana this is Kaira." He moved his hands back and forth between them as he introduced them. "Now that you know each other you both can go shove that shovel into your asses. LEAVE ME ALONE!" Kiro yelled at them turning and stomping off.

Even against his wishes Kaira and Katana followed Kiro slightly behind him. Kiro knew they were there and he was about to lose his temper with them.

"So, Katana, what do you want from Kiro?" Kaira asked to the older woman. They were still walking behind him.

"Oh I study ancient ruins and I had a chance once to read about the temple where Kiro lives. I learned of his three spirit's his body is being used to share while they are..., still spirits." She smiled. "I have wanted to come and see the temple and read the writing there. I have interviewed Kiro before so I know all about the spirits."

"Interview?" Kiro stopped dead in his tracks forcing the two girls to stop too. "You stopped me at school and told me what you knew. You assumed from there." Kiro snapped around to face them. "And you aren't seeing the temple!"

"Then let's bet on it." Katana said pulling something out of her coat. "A quick game?" She held up a Duel Monsters deck.

"Why would I?" Kiro asked turning to walk away.

"To prove you aren't scared." She stopped him with her words. "I win I get to come up and look around. I lose,...I try again some other day."

"I will duel you but if I win you must leave me alone for at least three months." Kiro said turning around and pulling out his deck. "Kaira, you are a witness. If she breaks this then I get to destroy her Duel Monsters deck."

"That is cruel." Kaira sympathetically said.

"I don't care." Katana said. "For a chance like this I will do about anything."

Kiro and Kaira followed Katana back to her lab on that side of town. Walking in Kaira saw two more girls working hard. Both stopped when they walked in. They were both teenage workers that looked like twins.

"Kaira, and Kiro you know them, but these are my assistants. Michi and Izumi Ume. Girls, this is Kaira." Katana introduced the two girls to Kaira. Michi and Izumi ran over to Kaira. They were both about an inch shorter than Kaira and they were really energetic. They had brown hair and brown eyes. They looked alike but not like identical sisters.

"Nice to meet you." Kaira said shaking both of there hands.

"The pleasure is ours." Michi said as she shook Kaira's hand. Izumi nodded.

"Now Kiro. Let's duel." Katana said standing at the opposite side of a dueling table in the middle of the room. It was smaller but it still had all the bells and whistles.

"What are you dueling for?" Izumi asked sitting on a bench set next to the table. Kaira and Michi joined her.

"If I win, Kiro is allowing us to come up to his temple to look around." Katana said with almost childlike glee.

"Let's go." Kiro said impatiently. His deck already on the dueling spot. "I don't have all day."

"Then let's go." Katana said placing her deck on the deck spot. She picked up six cards and looked at them. The table beeped and a counter on both side of the field clicked up.

Kiro-4000 LP  
Katana-4000 LP

"I play first. Pot of Greed." Katana set the card on the table in the proper spot. Then she picked up two cards off her deck. "I set one monster in defense mode. End turn."

Kiro drew his top card. "I will play this bad boy. Gravekeeper Spear Soldier (1500/1000) in attack mode." A Egyptian man holding his oddly decorated spear appeared on the field. "Spear Soldier can deal damage through defense. So your defense monster won't save you. Attack now." The little hologram on the table charged across the field and stabbed the spot where the card was. A large gray monster crouching down appeared and deflected the attack.

"My Giant Soldier of Stone (1300/2000) can stop your attack though." Katana said happily.

Kiro-3500 LP  
Katana-4000 LP

"I set one card face down and end my turn." The area started glowing as the card was placed there.

Katana drew and her eyes lit up. She slid the card into her hand and took a second to rearrange the cards there. She pulled out three cards and set them on the field. "I set three magic or traps on the field and end my turn."

"What a waste." Kiro drew his card and looked at it. "I can still hurt you even with that damn defense of yours."

"Probably but I activate my down three cards. One is Jar of Greed. I draw one card from that. The other ones are Reckless Greed and Help the Masses. I draw a total of five cards." She picked up five cards. "The effect of Reckless Greed stops me from drawing on my next two turns. Help the Masses allows us both to draw two cards from our decks." Kiro picked up two cards from his deck.

"Stop stalling. I play my Gravekeeper Cannonholder (1400/1200) and use his ability to sacrifice Spear Soldier to inflict 700 points of damage to you." The spear soldier faded away and a second Egyptian man holding a large wooden cannon raised it up. Shooting out a blast of white energy it whizzed pasted the giant stone man and hit Katana's side of the field.

Kiro-3500 LP  
Katana-3300 LP

"I end my turn. Go Katana and make it quick."

"Fine. I can't draw but I have drawn what I need anyways." She held up her hand which had nine cards already. "I activate Different Dimension Capsule. It lets me select one card from my deck and remove it from play for a turn and then returns it to me. Next I end my turn. I will discard these two cards." She placed two cards into her discard pile.

"How pathetic." Kiro smirked.

_"I don't know." _Kaira thought watching the duel. _"Katana is searching for something. What could it be? Whatever it is it is in that Capsule. Come on Kiro."_

Kiro drew his card and placed it on the field. "Go Gravekeeper's Curse (800/800). When this is summoned I inflict 500 points of damage to your life points." The Egyptian with the curved rod appeared. Twirling the rod around he sent a stream of purple smoke towards Katana.

Kiro-3500 LP  
Katana-2800 LP

"Next I sacrifice him to Cannonholder to deal 700 points of damage to you!" The man disappeared and the cannon was raised pointing towards Katana again. Shooting its white stream that hit Katana's side of the table her life points dropped again.

Kiro-3500 LP  
Katana-2100 LP

"Reveal face down card." Kiro picked up his face down card and placed if back down. "Rite of Spirit revives Gravekeeper's Curse and deals you 500 more points of damage. Then another sacrifice to Cannonholder to deal 700 more after that. That is a total of 1200 points of damage." Kiro smirked as the white flash of light hit Katana's field.

Kiro-3500 LP  
Katana-900 LP

"End turn." Kiro smirked as the hologram of the Cannonholder lowered his smoking cannon.

"Good job Kiro. You dealt me a total of 2400 points of life points damage that turn. Now I still cannot draw so I will end my turn." Katana said still smiling.

"But I can. I draw and summon my Gravekeeper Assailant (1500/1500) in attack mode." The little hologram of the black robed monster appeared. It held up its long curved knife and glared at Katana. "Now I sacrifice it to Cannonholder to deal damage to you." Fading away the monsters energy was seen going into the cannon held by the Gravekeeper Cannonholder. He raised it up and shot another ray of energy towards Katana.

Kiro-3500 LP  
Katana-200 LP

"One more turn. Just finish your move and let me win." Kiro said as his turn ended.

"To bad that this is the last turn. Not your next turn."

"What?" Kiro asked cousinly. Katana hasn't played anything that passed even as a minimal threat this entire game.

"My Different Dimension Capsule gave me the final piece of my plan. I gain the monster card Exodia the Forbidden One." Katana held up four other cards from her hand. The other four pieces of Exodia. The Left and Right leg of the Forbidden one and the Left and Right arm of the Forbidden one.

"Shit!" Kiro said kicking the duel table.

On the table a large strange looking monster that appeared out of a five star portal that appeared. It was covered in chains and strange Egyptian symbols. It looked like a threat from the beginning. It cupped its hands and shot a blast of golden energy at Kiro himself.

"Exodia is summoned that means you lost this duel." Katana smiled as Kiro's face reddened like a tomato in pure anger.

Kiro-Exodia Loss  
Katana-200 LP

Not but ten minutes later Katana, Muchi, and Izumi were like kids in a candy shop. They dodged back and forth from wall to wall on the temple at Kiro's home.

Kiro, Kaira, and Kiro's Grandfather sat on the bench between the two trees. They all looked rather boarded watching the three of them dart back and forth.

"How could you lose?" Kiro's Grandfather asked disappointed in Kiro.

"Listen dammit, I have been getting the third degree from Heruru so don't start with me." Kiro complained.

_("You better believe it dammit. You better not screw up like that during the trials.") _Heruru growled to Kiro.

_("No one is perfect Heruru.")_ Hebanu replied back. Then a mental slap could be heard as Hebanu hit the ground in Kiro's mind.

_("Heruru. Don't get to wound up. Kiro will win...right Kiro?")_ Kooru's voice turned from calm to concerned.

_"I am not letting you guys down. I want you out of my body as badly as you want out."_ Kiro said back placing his head back in his hands to watch Katana, Muchi, and Izumi dart around some more.

_("Dammit.") _Heruru stomped down on Kiro's mind plane. _("Those Damn Trials had better be tonight. I almost can't stand you anymore.")_

_"And I am sick of you too. Even if you are my favorite spirit."_ Kiro shot back.

_("This is common. When people spend to much time together tension runs high.")_ Kooru calmly said back. _("But you know that we need you. Don't think that your are rid of us yet. Plus this temple will be our home for a while when we are set free. ") _

("I can't wait to have my body back.") Hebanu replied and actually got a mental nod of agreement from all the others.

"So Kiro." Kaira said catching the boy's attention. "What do you think about tonight?"

"About what?" He growled just looking at her out of the corner of his eye while his head still rested in his hands. "The full moon? It would be great if the trials started tonight. Heruru, Kooru, and Hebanu are dying to get back their bodies."

"Well we have waited long enough." Kiro's grandfather said also just watching the three girls running around.

Katana removed the magnifying glass from her face and brushed off a small piece of wall. Dirt and dust flew off into the air. The ancient language on the wall was much easier to read now. Placing the magnifying glass back up to her face she observed four stone rectangles and a word written beneath them. The words looked to her like names. She whispered them beneath her breath.

"Kiro, Heruru, Hebanu, and Kooru." Her head shot up as someone touched her shoulder. Looking it was Izumi.

"Miss Katana, we have found something you should look at." She directed to a spot on the wall where Muchi was looking.

"What do we have here?" Katana asked walking up and taking a look at the pictures and words.

"Maybe something about the three spirits." Muchi replied stepping aside for Katana.

"Let see," Katana started to read the words on the wall. "Searching for the riches prize in the world, a large gem the size of a large hut. The riches would pour if they could get this gemstone. Searching all their lives they never found this stone but vowed to never give up even if it took two life times." She continued to read on the wall but she had to crouch down. "This stone was guarded by a set of guards that were very formidable and stopped these huntsman to get the stone."

"And this over here Katana." Izumi said pointing to a small slab sticking out of the wall. "It says that this stone was so great of a mystery that it may not even exist in this world."

"Well that clears nothing up." Katana said standing up straight. "That could mean about anything. Maybe the three of them were searching for this great gemstone." She then looked at her two assistants concerned. "What if they are bad spirits? What if they were thieves and murderers?"

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More history of Heruru, Hebanu, and Kooru. Plus Kiro's first loss. None of that may seem important...yet. Maybe to some of you note takers, this may be handy latter on if it isn't already.

Please I beg of you to review. Please let me know that you are there and are reading.

To John: Please, since you bring it up, who does she remind you of? I believe you hit on something...

To Nanashi: Well Nanashi, I will tell you the truth. My original plan was for her to be there but never duel. I said repeated times that she wasn't good but several reviewers wanted to know when she would duel. Now you see why I didn't want her to duel.  
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	7. The Blazing Heart in the City

Chapter 7: The Blazing Heart in the City

Kiro bowed his head sadly and sighed. He stood atop the roof of the temple staring up at the full moon raising high in the sky. Sadly to Kiro's disappointment it was the normal colored moon. It wasn't the frozen blue he was expecting and hoping for.

_("Dammit.") _Heruru cursed loudly in Kiro's head. _("What is this shit?")_ Heruru punched a mental wall in Kiro's head.

_("Heruru, We just got our hopes up.")_ Kooru said in his normal meditative state. _("We just assumed that the trials were starting tonight. We had no proof.")_

_"But I felt it."_ Kiro complained as he jumped off the roof. _"Dammit, I know I felt it." _

("We all thought so.") Hebanu replied trying to comfort the others.

Katana, Muchi, and Izumi had already left the temple after spending hours running around the temple walls. They seemed to have a slight uneasiness around Kiro when the left but he didn't care. He just wanted them gone.

Kaira was asleep on the bench and Kiro's grandfather had brought her a pillow and blanket. Kiro landed on the ground and looked at her. He sighed and walked up to his Grandfather who was sitting on the bench next to her.

"I should wake her up and send her home." Kiro growled as stared at her. "It's not like I have anything better to do tonight." He said sarcastically motioning with his head to the normal moon in the sky behind him.

"You should go with her." Kiro's grandfather said as he stood up. "It would be nice if you did."

"Why would I do that?" Kiro asked cocking his eyebrow.

"Because." Kiro's grandfather closed his eyes and smiled. "You have nothing better to do tonight."

* * *

Ten lime green fire erupted from stubs of woods inside a ten different orbs arranged in a large circle on large stone pillars. The light from the fire lit up the stone walls and floor of a temple looking building. In the center of this circle a cloaked figure stood with its arms straight out. Slowly this figure spun clockwise around this circle of green fire.

"What do you think?" It asked in a raspy voice while still spinning slowly around.

"The time seems to have come." A male voice answered walking into the circle of green fire. He braced himself against a pillar by the light cloaked in a black robe that covered all of his face but his mouth.

"He was bound to grow up in due time." A female voice answered to this male voice. She was also cloaked as she walked out and braced herself against another pillar. Soon after several other cloaked figures walked out until there were ten figures one against each pillar.

"So," the figure in the middle of the circle stopped spinning and looked around at the ten cloaked figures standing at the pillars of fire. "Has he grown up enough to be put through the trials?"

"If he doesn't have a strong enough will yet Kooru, Heruru, and Hebanu will not survive." The first male voice replied. "We must be sure incase of it happening again."

"We all know what is on line here Andron." The female voice snapped back at the male. "We mustn't let that happen. That is why we have gathered at this time each year. If we just rush in again to try and get the spirits back then all hell will break lose."

"Like last time?" The male voice named now as Andron, snapped back "And whose fault was that Salacia?"

"Andron, Salacia!" The cloaked figure in the middle of the room held up its hands to silence both of them. "What happened in the past needs to stay buried in the past. You know that we need those three to lead the fight again."

"Yes, without Kooru, Heruru, and Hebanu we are screwed if the war should try to break out again." Salacia said breaking out of her angry mood and looking down at the floor.

"So is the time now or not?" Another male voice echoed through the chamber and many agreeing sounds from the remaining cloaked figures.

"Well?" The center figure turned to look at them all.

"I say we wait some more." Salacia said turning her head as to not see the others.

"I say he has grown up enough." Andron replied stepping forward. "I have felt something deep in him awaken. Something new in his life has made him stronger. I belive that since I am the first test that I have the strongest link with him."

"That is true but can we really risk it?" Salacia asked to the whole group.

"I belive so Salacia." The center figure said turning from her to Andron. "What ever you think is the best. You move when you are ready."

"Thank you. I belive beyond a doubt that he is ready now. Something new in his area has opened a strong force inside him. Something that may prove his will strong enough to handle the spirits he holds." Andron walked forward. "If not, Kiro Rinku and the whole Rinku family will parish from this day forth."

"Fine. We will follow your lead." Salacia said bowing to Andron as did every robed figure.

"Ok. Time to go." Andron said suddenly bursting into massive towers of flame. The red and yellow flames surrounded him forcing his body out of sight yet none of the others seemed panicked. After a second of this the flames disappeared leaving nothing, not even a burn mark, to indicate that there was ever a pillar of fire there to start with.

* * *

Kaira and Kiro walked down an empty sidewalk under a street lamp that lit the area. Kiro had his hands in his pockets growling that his grandfather forced him out into doing this. Kaira walked in complete silence knowing Kiro's anger at the lousy night. He of all people wanted it to be the night of the trials.

The night was cool and crisp. A slight breeze blew down the street making Kaira shiver.

"I am sorry Kiro." Kaira started to say before looking over to see that Kiro wasn't walking next to her anymore. Looking back she saw him standing dead still looking off in the distance. "What is it?" She asked before looking towards the way he was looking. She saw it then, an entire tree just in a massive blaze. Burning and crackling across the street in some ones lawn.

"What the shit?" Kiro asked tilting his head to the side and looking at it.

"Well, that tree seems to be on fire." Kaira said stating the obvious.

"Yes well then it must have spontaneous combusted. Nothing hit it and there was no one around to light the fire." Kiro said.

_("That and that isn't a real fire.")_ Kooru stated form Kiro's mind.

_"So it's not real?" _Kiro asked back.

_("No, that fire is very real.") _Hebanu stated very seriously. _("It is a magic fire. A fire infused with a magic spark. No human water can put it out.") _

("Shit, who could make magical fire in this world?") Heruru angrily demanded to know from Kiro's head.

"So what are they saying?" Kaira asked placing her hand on Kiro's shoulder. Kiro's eyes were wide and filled with a fear that she had never seen in him before.

"Aw, shit!" Kiro stated as he rushed towards Kaira picking her up and running as fast as he could. The massive tree that was set ablaze fell over towards the spot where the two of them had just been a second ago.

_("You are not fast enough Kiro!")_ Heruru yelled from Kiro's mind. Kiro felt the mental hand of Heruru grab him by the collar and rip him out of control of the body. Kiro's hair flowed into black as did his eyes turn into solid black. Heruru had taken control of Kiro's body and picked up speed.

Flaming branches smashed into the ground as the fire from the tree started to spread out across the concrete.

Heruru jumped the side of a garage and up to the top of a second story house. Setting Kaira down he walked to the edge to see a terrible sight. The city was set ablaze. Pillars of smoked flew up into the sky covering it in a thick gray cloud.

"What is going on?" Kaira asked in a complete panic.

"Shut up mortal!" Heruru yelled and looked up at the gray cloud covering the sky. The light of the moon was completely blocked out making it a very dark city.

"What..."

"DAMMIT! SHUT UP!" Heruru yelled glaring at her making her step back. Looking up at the sky again he waited. Then the cloud parted enough to see what he was looking at. A frozen blue moon hovering high in the sky. It's blue glow shown down on Heruru's and Kaira's face like a warm light of hope.

"So does that mean?" Kaira asked almost afraid Heruru would rip her head off, either literally or metaphorically.

"...That the trials have begun." Heruru said looking down at the burning city that lay before the two of them. "Waiting all these lifetimes just for this night. All these years and all these bodies just for this."

_("Wow.") _Kiro said taking a mental look around through Heruru's eyes at the burning city.

_("Can it really be?")_ Hebanu asked also taking the look around. _("After all this time they are letting the trials began.") _

("It is true. Waiting all this time just for this.") A mental tear ran down Kooru's face. _("I must say that this burning city is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.") _

("Even though there is suffering now. For one I must agree.") Hebanu agreed with Kooru.

Kaira stooped back looking at a tear slowly roll down Heruru's face. She could see it was a tear of joy, filled with all the years of pain of waiting. _"After waiting this long. It must be great for them." _

Sirens brought them all back to reality. Looking below down to the street they saw a fire truck pull up next to the three and start to showing it in massive streams of water. The water seemed to be not affect the massive blaze at all.

"I said that human water can't put out a magic fire." Heruru growled at them.

"Magic fire? What is that." Kaira asked looking as the fire erupted in a bigger blaze sending streams of fire flying down the concrete towards the fire truck.

"A fire that started from a magic spark." Heruru explained in his gruff voice before looking around the city. "There." He pointed off into the distance. Many fires could be see burning on the roofs of houses and trees alike.

"That is the way I live!" Kaira gasped as she ran to the edge of the roof. She looked down to see the garage was only a few feet below her. She could make it if she jumped. She took a deep breath and started to bend at the knees when she felt herself being lifted off the roof but not by her doing. "What?" She said opening her eyes to see Heruru holding her up.

"Hold on tight because if you fall I am not stopping." Heruru growled as he placed her on his back. She wrapped her hands around his chest as her began to run to the other side of the roof. In a massive leap, Heruru left the roof on which they were and was flying across the huge gap to the next house. In a miracle Heruru landed on the edge of the roof and bounced himself onto it.

Kaira screamed a high pitch girl scream and wrapped her legs around Heruru's torso as well as he ran to the edge of the roof and jumped again. He continued to do this from roof to roof, growing closer to the way he had pointed earlier.

* * *

"Do you still think that Andron made the right choice?" Salacia asked the figure in the middle of the circle of orbs. "I don't know if Kiro's will is strong enough for this yet."

"Either way." The raspy voice of the one in the middle said turning to her. "We must trust that what Andron is sensing the truth. Let's see if he can pass the test of the frozen blue moon."

"Let see if he passes the pretest of getting there. If he dies on the way there then Kooru, Heruru, and Hebanu are dead forever. Spirits locked in the void for all eternity." Salacia said with a bright white tear run down her face.

"The others are already in the mist of fulfilling the destiny that awaits them. This here is the destiny of Kiro, and the three spirits. If destiny is a happy maiden then they will live to see another day." The figure said to comfort her.

"We must hope Andron knew what he was doing when he started this." A female voice echoed from one of the other cloaked figures. "At this point there is no turning back. The moon has passed the judgement on that."

"And once it turned the color of frozen blue the seal of the trials began." Salacia stated. "That is why I wanted him to think about it a bit more."

"He didn't think because he knew what must be done. As the first tester we must have faith in his choice as we do when it would be your turn to be the tester." A male voice from a cloaked man said to her. "We must have faith."

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The Trials have begun. What is going to happen when Kiro, Heruru, Hebanu, Kooru, and Kaira meet Andron. Find out next time.

To john: That doesn't make sense. If she is like Miroku then a wind deck fits her perfectly. Since Miroku has his wind tunnel.

To Goddess IANAW: I am ignoring you on purpose. Good job.  
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	8. Andron, Tester One

Chapter 8: Andron, Tester One

Leaping from roof to roof, Heruru was moving as fast as he could with this screaming human clinging onto his back. The air up was starting to fill with a haze that was making travel difficult.

"Will you shut up?" Heruru asked politely to Kaira who was screaming her lungs out. "Guess not."

This continued for several more roofs before Heruru finally just dropped to the ground sending Kaira flopping off his back. Heruru was panting hard, gasping for air.

_"Dammit Kiro...your body is too weak to do what I used to be able to do."_ Heruru growled in his head.

_("Shut up Heruru.") _Kiro snapped back at him. _("By now you should have known that.") _

"Also, how do you shut up this girl?" Heruru asked looking over to Kaira who was still freaked out from there journey.

_("If I knew I would tell you")_ Kiro said rolling his eyes.

_("I sense we are close to something.") _Kooru interrupted the two of them. _("I feel something that reminds me of us. Very close to us right now.") _

("Wow, I feel it too.") Hebanu said

_"Alright."_ Heruru stood up, still tiered but striving to move forward now. "Come on human. We move again."

"What!" Kaira said turning her head towards him. "Couldn't we move across the ground?"

"If you want to ever get there then we move like we have been." Heruru said walking to the edge. "Of course you don't have to come. I was getting tiered of you anyway."

"I am coming!" Kaira stated walking over to the edge next to Heruru.

"One condition." Heruru said bending over so she could get on his back like she was before. "You scream again I am dropping your ass. Got it?"

"Got it." Kaira said with a nod as she wrapped her legs and arms around Heruru's torso.

And they set off again, Kaira having to bit her lip so not to scream. The air was getting much more hazy now but Heruru had to push through it.

Andron, still cloaked completely, stood in an empty lawn in front of a white house. Looking around he was tossing a small fire ball up and down in his hand. It wasn't burning him or his robe at all.

"Aw, finally they arrive."

Over the roof of the house across the street Heruru carrying Kaira flew down to the street below. Andron smiled at there arrival.

Setting Kaira down Heruru walked forward towards the cloaked man. Kaira's eye widened as they focused where they were. The lawn of the house that Andron was standing on a was her new house. Her father and brother lived in that white house!

"Aw, Heruru I presume. If it is not the blackness himself." Andron said still tossing that fireball up and down. "But for the trials I need the one called Kiro Rinku."

"Fine." Heruru growled as his hair changed to Kiro's normal green hair and his eyes changed back to there reddish brown color.

"Kiro, are you ready for the first test of this ultimate test?" Andron asked.

"Very. All my life I have been ready so lets get this going." Kiro said stepping forward

"Good." Looking over his shoulder at the house he smiled and threw the fireball his was tossing about into the house. Suddenly the whole house burst up into flames.

"NO!" Kaira screamed from her place still on the street.

"Who is that?" Andron asked

"I said one word to her and followed me home." Kiro said looking back at her. "I think you are burning her house down."

"Oh, well her house shouldn't have been on the ancient battle ground." Andron said as he and Kiro disappeared in a stream of fire that seemed to streamed up to the top of the house.

When the fire surrounding Kiro's body disappeared the two of them were standing about ten feet above Kaira's burning house on transparent disk like platforms.

On the ground Kaira started to run towards the house that her remaining family was trapped in. Tears streaming down her cheeks that flew off as she ran.

"STOP!" Andron yelled as a wall of fire burst up from the ground between Kaira and her house. This wall of fire seemed to have been summoned by Andron's powerful voice. "If you step onto the ancient battle ground Kiro loses automatically."

Kiro's eyes widened and he turned to look down at Kaira. "Stay away!" He demanded.

Even though it burned at her heart she stepped back. She didn't know why she did it but she obeyed Kiro.

"Now." Andron turned to Kiro and tossed him a small white wrist band. "I am Andron, the first tester of the Trial of ten."

Catching the white wristband in mid air he brought it down to look at it. It had a strap to clench it to Kiro's wrist. It had a rather large cone like object strapped to the top. At the top it circled off with ten different colored orbs and a strange blue gem. On one side of it a small opening was apparent.

"What is this?" Kiro asked looking at each side of the new device.

"A gift. I belive you call it a duel disk but this one must be used in the trials." Andron said as Kiro strapped it on. It clenched down on his wrist and inside the blue gem little white numbers appeared and counted up to 5000.

"The trials will be played with the game you call Duel Monsters. And each trial will be played with 5000 life points. Are you ready?"

"I have been ready since I was one year old." Kiro said shuffling up his deck and slamming it into the deck slot.

"Good." Andron held out his left arm and closed his eyes. He grabbed his cloak and ripped it off his body. Underneath was a very tall and built out man. He had spiky brownish red hair and beneath his solid black eyes were two triangles pointing down. They shined with a frost blue color. Suddenly a ring of fire appeared around his wrist and exploded into a fiery duel disk shape. Opening his eyes he slid a deck of cards into the fiery duel disk's deck slot. Kiro's duel disk projected a clear white and blue field out in front of the wrist band.

"Ok. So now we start." Kiro said looking at the transparent field zone.

"Right." Andron said drawing his first five cards.

Kiro-5000 LP  
Andron-5000 LP

* * *

"Andron has begun finally. So now we see if Kiro is strong enough to pass the first test." Salacia said to the rest of the council. The center figure nodded pleased with this.

* * *

Above the two of them the smoky sky started to dissipate leaving the large frozen blue moon sitting in the sky right above them as Andron drew his sixth card.

"I start with this, Flame Ruler (1500/1600) in attack mode!" Floating on the field above the burning house a freakish man appeared with his long blue hair and red jacket. Around this monster a stream of fire followed the two fire balls in the monsters hands. "End turn."

"Draw!" Kiro exclaimed as he drew his first card. "Flame Ruler is a powerful monster so all I can do is summon Gravekeeper Spear Soldier (1500/1000) to oppose it!" Placing the card on the transparent field a tan Egyptian man appeared in a burst of light on the field in front of Kiro. It swung its golden staff around in a large circle around it's body. "I will also set up two face down cards and end my turn." Two brown backed cards appeared behind the spear wielding monster.

"Are you taking this duel seriously?" Andron asked drawing his card.

"Yea, I wouldn't I?" Kiro asked tilting his head to the side.

"Because you set up a pretty lousy move." Andron said placing another card on his burning duel disk. "I can sacrifice my Flame Ruler, this counts as a double sacrifice for any fire monster, to summon Launcher Spider (2200/2500)!" The man burst into a massive pillar of flame. It dispersed and out of a massive flash of light a mechanical green and brown spider monster appeared in it's place. Opening two hatches on it's back it revealed an onslaught of missiles. "And I play the magic card Heavy Storm to destroy your face down trap cards!" Andron said sliding the card into the flame disk and watching a massive wind fly out of it. Blowing hard the wind swept up and destroyed the set cards.

"Damn you." Kiro said narrowing his eyes.

"I will have Launcher Spider attack you Spear warrior with Missal assault!" Andron ordered pointing to the Egyptian man. The spider monster sent a wave of missiles shooting out and across the field destroying Kiro's monster in a massive explosion.

Kiro-4300 LP  
Andron-5000 LP

"Next I set a card face down and end my turn." Andron said sliding the card behind the spider monster. "Please don't tell me that this was a waste of time."

"Oh, I won't waste your time any longer!" Kiro stated as he drew his card. "I set one monster in face down defense mode. End turn." Kiro said as the monster card appeared face down on the field.

Andron sighed aloud and drew his card. "I summon Raging Flame Sprite (100/200) in attack mode." A small little pixie monster holding a wand with a burning orb at the top appeared next to the huge mechanical spider. "Flame Sprite attack directly now!" Smirking, the little pixie monster waved her wand around shooting sparks of fire directly at Kiro. The sparks hit him causing him to shudder at the pain he felt.

Kiro-4200 LP  
Andron-5000 LP

"And each time Raging Flame Sprite attacks directly I increase her attack by 1000 points (1100/200)." Andron smirked as Kiro stood up straight brushing himself off.

"So I take it your little sprite can attack me directly even if I have a monster on my field." Kiro said.

"Right you are. Maybe you are smarter than I am giving you credit for." Andron pointed to the set monster. "Launcher Spider attack that thing now!" The spider again launched a wave of missiles at the set card. As they hit the card, a Owl screeched out from under it before it was blown to smithereens.

"You just attacked my Owl of Luck (300/500)! When it is flipped I may put a field magic card on the top of my deck." Kiro said proudly as he sat his field magic card onto of his deck.

"Fine. I end my turn Kiro Rinku. Show me what you've got." Andron said proudly as his two monsters seemed to smirk with him.

"I will show you more than I have got!" Kiro announced as he drew his Necrovalley card. "Feast your eyes on this magic card. I play Necrovalley!" All around the two of them massive stone valley walls appeared hovering in mid air just like they were.

"Aw, the Necrovalley." Andron said as if he had been here before. Looking around her smiled wide. Finally brining his attention back to Kiro he smiled. "You may continue."

"Thanks." Kiro said in a sarcastic tone. "I summon my Gravekeeper Assailant (1500/1500) in attack mode!" A Egyptian warrior appeared on Kiro's field covered in black robes. In its right hand was a large wavy bladed sword. "Necrovalley ups it's attack and defense power by 500 points (2000/2000)." Kiro grabbed another card from his hand and slipped it into his duel disk. "I also play the magic card Pot of Greed to draw two cards." Kiro snapped two cards off his deck. A smile crossing his face at the cards. "First Gravekeeper Assailant attacks you Flame Sprite!" In a blur of black light the little sprite monster was cut in half.

"Reveal trap card." Andron pointed to his face down card. "Backfire!"

"Backfire!" Kiro didn't like the looks of the trap card that now rested on Andron's field.

"Now whenever a fire monster is sent from my field to the grave you lose 500 life points." Andron smiled as his trap sent a wave of fire out and engulfing Kiro in it.

Kiro-3700 LP  
Andron-4100 LP

Kiro was down on one knee now panting from the wave of fire that had just engulfed him. It hurt as if every life point was connected to his heart and soul.

"Hurting Kiro Rinku?" Andron asked the boy as watched Kiro panting.

"Not so much I can't still win. I set one card face down and end my turn." Kiro slid the card into his duel disk and it appeared behind his assassin.

"Then it comes to my turn." Andron said drawing his card and looking at it. "I will summon my Great Angus (1800/600) to the field in attack mode." A raging red beast appeared next to the large mechanical spider monster. Its body was scared up and it had a look of rage in its eyes. "Launcher Spider attack his gravekeeper now!" Andron pointed to the robed monster who stood tall ready to face this monster. The machine spider sent out a wave of missiles to blow the living shit out of the monster.

"Of course you ran right into my trap! Go Negate attack!" The swirling vortex appeared in front of the assailant, sucking up all the missiles it vanished into thin air.

"Good job Kiro Rinku. I set one card face down and call my turn to an end." Andron's card appeared behind the two monsters.

Kiro pulled the next card off his deck and flipped it over to view it. _"Gravekeeper's Muscle Burst. This is that card I got during that duel with Jiruku! It doubles the attack of one gravekeeper monster for one turn. I could use this to take down his Launcher Spider!" _

("You think you can do it?") Hebanu asked from Kiro's mind. _("From what I have seen of this weird game you play, he is a tough player.")_

_("Just as long as Kiro keeps his cool and thinks through his moves he should be just fine Hebanu. Go Kiro...we are all behind you.") _Kiro could actually hear Kooru snickered in his mind. _("Technically inside of you but you get the point.") _

"Yea I got it." Kiro said at Kooru's lame joke.

_("You had just better now screw this up Kiro. For so help me if you do I will rip out your brains and shove them up you ass.") _Heruru's angry threat rang through Kiro's head. _("Win or else!" _

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Well, now we get to the duel. Andron vs. Kiro, how will this turn out I wonder.

To LucienShadowMaster: Thanks for stating that. Did you get my point though. Got to learn to watch that, thank you.

To John: Well really the whole series of Inuyasha revolves around the wind. So if she reminds you of any Inuyasha character then a wind deck is perfect for her.  
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	9. Blazing Duel and the Emperor of Flames

Chapter 9: Blazing Duel and the Emperor of Flames.

Kiro held the Gravekeeper Muscle Burst in front of his face looking at it. The picture had Gravekeeper Kiro on it bulging in muscles with a white aura all around him.

"Your move please." Andron said tapping his foot on the transparent platform he stood on.

"You wait a second!" Kiro yelled back. Looking over his shoulder to see if Kaira was still there he saw her on her knees crying. "Kaira." He said under his breath saddened by the way she looked. He must end this quickly in order to save Kaira's family. For some reason...he cared about them.

"Today Kiro Rinku." Andron demanded angrily.

"Fine. I play Gravekeeper Muscle Burst! This will double the attack power of Gravekeeper Assailant for one turn (4000/2000)!" The robed monster started to glow with a white aura and its robes showed where its muscles were bursting out. "Gravekeeper Assailant attack Launcher Spider now!" Kiro demanded as his monster jumped into the air ready to stab its sword down into the machines body. In a metal ripping sound, the sword penetrated the spiders head and slashed it right open. I a huge explosion the monster was destroyed but it showered Kiro in a wave of fire.

Kiro-3200 LP  
Andron-2300 LP

"Good move Kiro!" Kiro swiveled around to see Kaira, still in tears, yelling up to him.

"...Thanks." He yelled back. He turned back to face Andron and looked down at his hand. "I end my turn Andron. Take your turn."

Kaira wiped the streaming tears out from her eyes. She continued to look up at Kiro who was dueling for something he had waited for all his life. He gave up his life to these three spirits so that they might live. If others knew of the heroic deed he has slaved at all his life, so many people wouldn't have hated him.

She looked down at the burning house and felt the tears welling up again in her eyes. Her dad, David, and Kaira's brother Deruku were trapped inside. She couldn't get to them once the trial had started. She could only hope that Kiro finished this fast before they were burned alive.

* * *

"The kid is playing well." Salacia said to the council. "I sense that he has taken a major chunk out of Andron's life score. More that anyone in history has done in such a short period of time."

"Then maybe Andron was right when he said that Kiro Rinku was ready for this." The raspy voice in the center of the room. "As the first tester we should have never doubted him."

"True. But we will see if Kiro can hold his own on this game. I am seeing hope for him yet." Salacia said, still leaning on her stone pillar under the burning lime green fire.

* * *

"Draw." Andron said snapping the top card from his deck. "Your assailant is powerful but I think it is time I take the duel over."

"And how do you plan to do that?" Kiro asked. Even his monster seemed curious.

"By switching Great Angus to defense mode and summoning a second Flame Ruler (1500/1600) in defense mode as well." Another strange man appeared on the field encircled with flames. "I next set one card face down and call my turn to an end."

"That was your great play!" Kiro said angrily. "Fine...Draw!" Kiro snapped a card off the top of his deck.

"And I will play trap card Dust Tornado! This trap eliminates your Necrovalley!" Andron said pleased as a huge swirling twister of dust flew out of the picture of the card. Swirling violently it broke apart the stone walls the surrounded them.

"Dammit." Kiro growled looking around. They were still high in the air standing on their transparent platforms. Wind blowing and the huge house fire burning below. "Fine. I have Gravekeeper Assailant (1500/1500) attack your Great Angus!" Kiro ordered as his robed warrior flew across the field slicing the red beast in half.

"And Backfire activates since a fire monster was destroyed." Andron said pleased and his trap card glowed pure white. A wave of flame burst out showering Kiro in there hot sparks.

Kiro-2700 LP  
Andron-2300 LP

Kiro bent down to his knees again as the flame burned at his skin. "Damn you." He spit out as he struggled to his feet. Losing his balance he fell back down to his knees. "What are you doing to me in this duel?"

"Our duel disk are what are really responsible. They are infused with shadow magic that brings the true power of the monsters, magic, and traps we play to life. This is a test of strength for you." Andron said as Kiro struggled to his feet again.

"I set one card face down and end." Kiro said sliding the card into his disk. It appeared behind the warrior.

* * *

Chao Ryota ran down the street. He was trying his best to aid the chaos that the city was turning into. Flames were burning houses, trees, and almost anything else...whether it was burnable or not.

Rounding the corner Chao came to a dead stop. Standing down the street was Kaira with tears in her eyes looking up towards the sky. Chao ran towards her. "Kaira!" He called to her getting her attention.

"Chao?" Kaira said recognizing the voice. Turning quickly she watched Chao running to her. "What are you doing here?"

"Helping." He said finally reaching her. "The city is in chaos. I am trying to help when I can." He watched her take in what he said even though the tears were still streaming down her face. "So wait. What were you looking aaattt?" Chao's voice trailed on as he looked up towards the sky to see the sky duel on the floating platforms.

"Kiro is battling in his trial." Kaira said looking back up at them.

"Up there? Is this a joke?" He asked in disbelief.

"No joke and yes up there." She replied not taking her eyes off the duel.

"Draw!" Andron's voice bellowed out over the burning house. "I will now send my Flame Ruler to the grave to summon this beast." Holding the card high up in the air it seemed to glow with a bright but faint yellow and red light. The Flame Ruler slowly faded away to be replaced by a huge ball of fire. Andron slapped the card down on his burning duel disk to have the huge ball of fire start to take form.

It stood on four legs and stretched out its arms. It flapped its wings out to stretch them and roared with its lion shaped head. Its whole body was made of golden burning flames. The body was muscular and shaped well.

"Infernal Flame Emperor (2700/1600)! This massive monster lets me remove up to five fire monsters from my grave in order to destroy magic and trap equal to the number removed."

"Nice effect." Kiro's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"It is. I remove Flame Ruler to destroy your set card." Andron's lips thinned out in a smile as the large fiery monster shot a massively huge wave of fire the incinerated the face down card.

"Dammit." Kiro cursed as he slid his card into the graveyard.

"And Infernal Flame Emperor will attack your pathetic Gravekeeper!" Andron pointed to assailant. In its hands, the large flaming beast created a huge fire ball. It hovered in mid air above the beasts hand. Wielding it back the large beast chucked it towards the monster. Screaming, the monster was engulfed in a massive fireball that burned it slowly. Sparks flew off and hit into Kiro's body. Finally the Gravekeeper's Assailant was destroyed and Kiro found himself on his knees again.

Kiro-1500 LP  
Andron-2300 LP

"And I end my turn. Kiro Rinku, can you still hold your own in this duel?" Andron asked as Kiro found the strength to get back to his feet.

"I can hold my own just fine." Kiro said snapping his next card off his deck. "Activate Card of Sanctity! We now both draw until we are holding six cards in our hands." Andron smiled and snapped five cards off his deck to add to his one hand card.

Kiro took his time drawing the four cards he needed one at a time. _"That could help. Ok, let see Gravekeeper Curse, Rite of Spirit, Gravekeeper Kiro. Well there I am." _Kiro took a second examining the card that was just like him.

_("Don't forget Kiro. You get one more card.")_ Hebanu's voice echoed through Kiro's mind.

_"I know how to play the game Hebanu. You may have been around for many years but you have no experience in a game like this." _Kiro growled as he slowly pulled the last card off his deck. His eyes widened as he noticed a faint light blue aura around the card. He could feel a pulse in this card the likes of which he hadn't felt since he first drew Gravekeeper Kiro. Flipping it around his eyes widened.

_("How in the...") _Even though Kooru, Hebanu, or Heruru had no clue as to how to play the game they did recognize something wrong with this card.

"This isn't possible." Kiro's whispered to himself holding the card. His hand started shaking as he held the card.

"What did he draw?" Chao asked impatiently. "It had better be good because he is losing this duel."

"Well I have faith in him." Kaira said with unwavering stare at Kiro.

"A duelist can only be judged by the cards he plays. How he plays them, and what level of respect he gives them. He is shaking as a wave of doubt covers him. Can he continue Chao said watching Kiro.

"He can and he will." Kaira reassured him.

"I don't know. Unless he trusts his cards and his heart he won't last." Chao said.

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To John: Yea it has been done. Several times but that isn't going to stop me. I will push Kiro though this monster.  
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	10. Half of the Full Power Arises

Chapter 10: Half of the Full Power Arises

"Boy, are you going to finish your move so I can win this already?" Andron asked as Kiro stood motionless staring at the card he drew.

"Fine. Don't you worry Andron I will win this duel and you will be out of my way." Kiro snapped back as he twirled the cards in his hand around. "First I summon Gravekeeper Kiro in face up defense mode (1800/1100)." Kiro announced as the buffed up gravekeeper version of himself appeared crouching over it's card in front of him. "He let me pull Necrovalley from anywhere and place it on the field!" Kiro announced as the large stone walls of the valley flew passed him and covered the field in it's magic once again (2300/1600).

"Good move. I see you have uncovered at least a fourth of you hidden power." Andron smirked as a large gust of wind flew down the valley walls.

"A fourth of my power?" Kiro asked.

"Yes, a fourth. You will discover the other parts eventually if you are the one." Andron answered back to Kiro.

"Fine, whatever." Kiro growled as he slid a card behind his card version of himself. "I set one card face down and end."

"Draw!" Andron yelled snapping a card off his deck. "I summon Ultimate Baseball Kid (500/1000) in attack mode." Andron bellowed as a red suited kid waving a spiky bat appeared on the field. It looked like a baseball player in his uniform. "He gain 1000 attack for every fire monster on the field (1500/1000). I can now finish this. Go Infernal Flame Emperor using Eternal Flame wipe out his last defense!" The large flaming monster roared as it formed it's fire ball in its massive hands again.

* * *

"Andron is set into the finishing position." Salacia announced to the rest of the council.

"So he has won?" A male voice asked from one of the robed figures.

"Not yet. He is attacking for the final though." Salacia answered.

"Let's hope this is not the end." The raspy voice replied.

* * *

The fire ball screamed across the field and incinerated Gravekeeper Kiro on contact. Smoke flew up off the spot where the monster once kneeled.

"KIRO!" Kaira yelled from the ground as Andron pointed to Kiro.

"Attack Ultimate Baseball Kid!" Andron bellowed. The baseball warrior monster threw a small base ball sized fireball into the air then hit it with its bat.

"Reveal trap Rite of Spirit!" Kiro bellowed as his trap flipped up. "I summon back Gravekeeper Kiro in attack mode!" In a flash of light the monster version of Kiro appeared on the field. The fiery baseball broke apart in mid air.

"Fine, I will end my turn. Do your worst to me if you can." Andron said smirking as Kiro looked down at his hand.

Sighing deeply, "Draw!"

Suddenly, Kaira's burning house caved in due to the fire burning it to the ground. Now instead of being a burning house it was a bonfire.

"NO!" Kaira screamed as her house collapsed. She tried to run forward but Chao grabbed her holding her back. "LET ME GO!" She demanded of him.

"And let you get burned to death?" Chao asked her as he struggled to hold her back. "Is that really the smartest thing to do?"

"YES NOW LET ME GO!" She yelled swinging her foot back and catching Chao right in his crotch. A muffled moan and Chao fell to the ground grabbing his package.

"NO STOP KAIRA!" Kiro yelled from atop his platform. "Chao stop her!" Kiro yelled.

"Right." Chao grunted out as he staggered to his feet and charged after Kaira. One lunge and he tackled her to the ground. "Kaira, you are not going anywhere." He said as he held her to the ground even though he was still in much pain.

"No, let me go." She screamed struggling against him.

"Don't worry Kaira, I will finish this quickly for you." Kiro yelled from his platform as he held a card out with its back facing Andron. "I sacrifice Gravekeeper Kiro to summon Secret Spirit Guard-Hebanu (2400/1800)!"

A huge glow of light as Kiro's monster started glowing and taking a new shape. It grew bigger and more built out. It looked exactly like Gravekeeper Kiro but his hair was sky blue and his eyes were a soft yellow color now. He was taller and more muscled out. Wearing a strange white robe that had three colored beads sewed into the back. One sky blue, one pure black, and one was dark gray.

"Another part of the power!" Andron's eyes widened in fright at the new monster that took residence on Kiro's field. "This cannot be. He had half of the true power completely in his deck already!"

"Watch this Andron for I will win in this turn. I must send a card to the grave to send a card on the field to its owners hand and it will only work when I first sacrifice Gravekeeper Kiro to summon it." Kiro slid three cards in his hand into the graveyard as the monster Hebanu held out his palm towards Andron's monsters. Bursts of white lightning shot out shocking everything in its pathway as it finally reached the two monster and the trap card Backfire. In violent shocking fits the monsters disappeared in a burst of light and so did the trap card.

"Shit." Andron growled as he watched the three cards appear in his hand. "This is it."

"And to make sure this is over I will reveal the second power of Hebanu. If Necrovalley is on the field I get to add the bonus it gives to gravekeepers to Hebanu once. Now I power up Hebanu by the power of Necrovalley!" Kiro screamed into the sky as his monster started glowing with a pure red aura. The muscles on him began to burst out as red lightning shot off his skin. It Yelled in Kiro's voice but a bit lighter as his power increased (2900/2300).

"No! This can't be!" Andron walked back to the end of the floating disk he was standing on. "He has complete power over it if he has just materialized it in this duel!"

* * *

All the cloaked people jerked there heads back as they sensed the arrival of the monster spirit. Looking around they were gasping at the force he unlocked without trying.

"H...h...how?" Salacia was shuddering at what she was sensing. "This can't be. Andron was right."

* * *

"Secret Spirit Guard-Hebanu attack directly with the power of the ancient force!" Kiro yelled as his monster started glowing a bright sky blue light. Snapping its eyes open it wielded back its hand and forced it forward shooting a stream of sky blue energy pulsating with red lightning.

Andron screamed as he was enveloped in the light. The night seemed to turn to day as the light from the attack lit up everything around like the sun lights the earth. When the light finally faded Andron's duel disk was gone and the disk he was standing on was cracking.

Kiro-1500 LP  
Andron-0 LP

"Good job Kiro Rinku. You pass the first test needed." Andron choked out. "I have tested you in a courageous battle of power that you have passed. You pass the trial of the frozen blue moon." Kiro had forgotten about the moon. Looking at it he saw the ice blue coloring of it slowly fade off it in streams of the color. "The next test will come when the moon glows sun yellow." Andron said before his floating disk broke and he fell into the flaming torrent beneath him. As soon as his body hit it a bright light shot out. All the fire Andron started seemed to freeze in there spot. Slowly they just disappeared into the night air.

Kiro's disk lowered him to the ground where he jumped off to look at his new duel disk. Pulling out his deck he looked at the card Secret Spirit Guard-Hebanu. He also noticed that an orb on his duel disk was glowing now. A frozen blue color.

* * *

"Salacia, test two will come when the moon is glowing sun yellow. Will you be ready?" The raspy voice from the middle figure asked.

"I cannot believe Andron fell. Now he is burned in hell with his own fire." Salacia said clenching her fist. The pillar with the lime green fire above where Andron once stood went out.

One down. Nine more flames to extinguish.

* * *

Kiro, Chao, and Kaira stood in the middle of the street watching the smoke roll off the rubble that was Kaira's house. Streams of tears were flooding down Kaira's face. Chao put his hand on her back and rubbed it a few times to try and comfort her.

All three of them turned off towards the east down the street. They watched as over the horizon the sun began it's ascent into the sky. Its rays sent the three shadows from them down the street.

"Morning has come." Chao simply stated. Kiro and Kaira remained silent.

* * *

"Good morning girls." Ann Katana said to Michi and Izumi Ume as they all sat on a bench in the park. Their lab had been on fire but luckily it only damaged to upper floor of the two story lab.

"The night of hell on earth has ended." Izumi said picking herself up off the bench.

"Katana," Michi stood up and looked at her boss. "If this is the start of the trials for those things and if they are what we think they are do you think we should try and stop them?"

"We can't. Fate works its path in a various of ways. Like a path with forked roads. Kiro is the one traveling the road of fate. He apparently took the fork that lead to glory in this battle of hell. The other path would lead him to defeat in a burning torrent of flames. If we are correct girls then he has nine more forks that fate will guide him too. Let's hope that one way or the other, man kind doesn't fall into the burning hell.

"Agreed." The girls nodded.

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The trial is over. Wish to see what happens next. Well tell me that you are interested and I will continue to tell you.  
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	11. Vs the Club House Gang

Chapter 11: Vs the Club House Gang

Kiro looked around. He was in a large ring of lime green fire that shot up high into the pitch blackness around him. A cold shiver shot up his spine then back down. Even though he was alone in the circle of fire he felt the presence of thousands of eyes staring, digging into him.

"For fortune shined on you once."

Kiro jumped forward. As the ghastly voice came from behind him. Jerking around quickly he found himself face to face with a hovering cloaked being with blue eyes and mouth. Draped at his side in his left hand was a long scythe.

"Fortune shall not shine upon you again." It said grabbing the scythe with his other hand and brining it up to swing it.

"What!" Kiro was in compete shock from this thing. "Who...Who are...you?"

"You don't recognize me?" The beast asked still with his scythe held back in his arms. "In your world I am a common monster known as Reaper of the Cards. Here though I am much stronger than portrayed in your world."

"Common monster? Oh, a monster card!" Kiro's eyes widened as he recognized the Reaper now. Slowly he took a step backwards.

"Running is pointless." The Reaper said as he burst off flying towards Kiro with all his might. Wielding back his scythe the monster swung it forward at Kiro's neck.

"GRAVEKEEPER KIRO!" A strong voice yelled from behind Kiro. And then a flood of sparks fell in front of his eyes and he was blinded to the world around him. He felt his body go limp as it smacked into a cold hard floor. He remained there for a short time before his eyes readjusted back to being able to see again. Looking up he saw the metal part of the Reaper's scythe dug deep into a metal ring on a wooden cannon. The holder of the cannon Kiro recognized well.

"Gravekeeper Cannonholder!" He said astonished to have been saved by his own monster. Suddenly he felt a hand grab the back of his shirt and life him off the ground. As he was placed on his feet he looked around him to see very familiar faces. "Gravekeepers' Guard, Spear Soldier, Spy, Curse, and Assailant!"

All of the Gravekeeper monsters were standing beside him now while Cannonholder was still fighting off the Reaper of the Cards.

"Gravekeeper Kiro. You are the key. You are the one we must guard for once." Gravekeeper's Cannonholder said looking over his shoulder. "You are the power source to the needs of billions of people."

"Me?" Kiro said in astonishment.

"Yes." Said one last voice from a man as he walked up next to Kiro.

"Gravekeeper Chief!" Kiro said turning to the familiar monster.

"Yes Gravekeeper Kiro. Even though I am the chief of the Gravekeepers, I am not the one who is needed by this world. Our tribe served years guarding tombs and a family name. Both alive and as spirits."

"Wait, Is this about the trials and reviving Kooru, Hebanu, and Heruru?" Kiro asked looking at the man in a white and black robes.

"Yes, they are the special beings that must be reborn into this world. But you are the key needed. Or I should say part of the key." He said looking back to the reaper finally pulling his scythe out of the cannon and swinging back. "The fate of this world may depend on the trikey."

"Die." The Reaper of Cards interrupted as he swung his scythe back. Around the blade a mystic blue aura flowed.

"No." Gravekeepers Chief eyes widened at the sight of the attack. "We will be your guard forever Gravekeeper Kiro." He said as he and all the rest of the Gravekeepers stepped in front of him as a wall. They used there elbows to nudge him to step back . "Remember to trust only your heart. It will guide you to the other light."

Swinging his scythe forward, the Reaper shot a blast of blue energy that engulfed all the Gravekeepers whole. Kiro watched horrified as his Gravekeepers started the get cut up. Parts of there bodies were getting chopped off like a hot knife through butter. Horrid screams of pain came from all of them as the blue light increased covering all vision.

* * *

Kiro sat up in a start. He found himself in the corner of a small wooded house. He could hear little kids yelling. Standing up the best he could since the hut was rather small he looked out a small square window. He was in a tree house! Looking down he could see a bunch of kids lined up yelling at both Chao and Kaira. 

"Hey!" Chao yelled as he avoided a rock hurdling toward his head. "You aren't playing very nicely."

"You are the idiot that we found in our club house!" The tallest and strongest of all the kids yelled. All the others nodded in agreement.

"I take it from that you are the leader of your little club." Kaira said trying to sound friendly.

"That's right you hag. I am Juro, leader of the Seiyaryu gang." Juro, the leader, spoke back.

"HAG!" Kaira yelled, her face turning bright red now. "I will kill you little boy!" Kaira yelled as she started to run forward towards the kid. She ran straight into Chao's forearm as he held it out to stop her.

"Seiyaryu? Isn't that a monster card?" Chao asked Juro.

"Yes it is." Kiro said stopping everyone dead in there tracks. He was climbing down a wooden latter leading up to the tree house. "It is a two tribute monster with 2500 attacking power. It is a dragon card if I remember right." Kiro finally walked up to Chao and Kaira.

"Yes it is!" Juro yelled stomping his foot on the ground. He stood up straight again and cleared his throat. "Seiyaryu is a light attribute dragon monster with seven stars. Its attack power is 2500 and its defensive power comes to 2300."

Kiro, Kaira, and Chao all sweat dropped as the kid went all out explaining the card.

"Well then." Chao said coming back to being normal. "Now that our companion is awake we will take our leave of your club house." He said motioning to the other two to start walking away.

"Hold it right there!" Juro yelled, freezing all of them in there tracks. "You just don't get to spend the night in our club house and leave like that. What if you are one of the spies from one of the other gangs around.

"Yea, why were we in their club house?" Kiro asked finally turning to Kaira.

"We were all so tired that you just kind of fell asleep. So Kooru brought us here figuring it was a safe stronghold to rest for a few hours." Kaira explained.

"I see...OUCH!" Kiro yelled as a small stone hit the side of his head. Looking, many of the gang members still had stones in there hands.

_("Let me kill them. Kill them all.")_ Heruru yelled in Kiro's head. Kiro could see Heruru's mental body being restrained by Kooru and Hebanu. _("I will rip there heads off and feed there flesh to the birds.") _

_("So horrid.")_ Hebanu said closing his eyes.

_("Control yourself Heruru!") _Kooru yelled as he held back on Heruru's arm.

"Wait, wait, wait." Chao held up his hands in case they tried throwing any stones at him. "You belong to a club that is supported by a Duel Monster card. I assume that means that you duel."

"Yea. We all duel, and we are the best dueling gang this side of the town." Juro bragged holding out his hand. One of his gang members placed a white duel disk in his hand.

"Well then lets have a deal ok?" Chao said moving towards the kids. "We have a duel. If I win then we get to go scott free."

"But if you lose, then you will become our clubs personal little pets." Juro smiled as he slid on the duel disk. "We will use the three of you two not only guard our club house and take out enemy gangs but...be our personal servant. Clean the club house, bring us food, so on and so forth."

"What!" Kiro said, half tempted now to let Heruru go on these kids.

"Wait Kiro." Chao said holding up his hand. Turning back to Juro he nodded. "You have a deal. One match, one chance."

"Good." Juro said before looking over his shoulder. "Duel disk!" He commanded as a second duel disk was produced from a kids backpack and handed to Chao.

_("So why don't we just walk away from them?")_ Heruru questioned. _("They are half our size!") _

_"I really don't know."_ Kiro answered in response.

_("Just let the two warriors duke it out. Rather old or young, a spirit of a warrior can be just as strong.")_ Kooru calmly said leaning against a mental wall.

Shuffling up there decks they placed them in the duel disk's deck slot. Both of them pulled five cards off their respective decks.

"Duel!" They both yelled out loud, causing birds to go fluttering out of the trees.

Chao-4000 LP  
Juro-4000 LP

"I start!" Juro yelled slapping down his newly drawn card. "I summon my Lord of Dragons (12001100) in attack mode." A dark man in armor made from dragon bones appeared. His long blue cape flapping in a virtual wind. "I set up two face down cards and end my turn." Juro's two cards flashed into appearance behind his monster.

"Then it looks like I go!" Chao yelled as a card was snapped off his deck. "I place a simple defensive monster for now and end." A brown backed monster card appeared horizontally in front of Chao. _"I must play it cool on this kid. One, he doesn't look like all that good of a duelist, and two, for whatever strategy he has, I need a better idea of how to counter it." _

"Unable to beat me?" Juro commented as he drew his card. "Then open face down card. Flute of Summoning Dragon. With its magic combined with Lord of Dragons, I can play two dragons from my hand." Juro slid two cards out of his hand and slapped them down on the duel disk. "I summon two Seiyaryu (2500/2300) in attack mode."

Large light purple dragons appeared on the field. They had light looking frames for bodies and scaly wings jutting out of its arms. Its beak was curved and it's blue eyes shined with brilliance.

"Next up, reveal set card; Tribute Doll!" Juro called as his other face down card flipped up. The Lord of Dragons faded away with its appearance. "Tribute Doll lets me sacrifice one monster on my field to summon a level seven monster from my hand. That monster cannot attack this turn but still, now you face a third Seiyaryu!" A third purple dragon monster appeared next to its brothers.

"No way!" Chao took a step backwards. "Three of them that quickly!"

"Yep, our decks all revolve around this card. Mine just happens to be the best at getting them out." Nods came from members of the gang as Juro spoke. "Now Seiyaryu attack his defense monster! Mystic Flame!" Opening its mouth, the purple dragon monster created a fire ball of light blue color and with a sparkling aura around it. In a burst of energy, the ball of fire shot out and incinerated the face down monster.

"You have eliminated my Golem Sentry (800/1800)." Chao said sadly as he slid the monster into his graveyard. Now nothing was between the three dragons and his life points.

"Seiyaryu number two. Attack directly with Mystic Flame!" Juro yelled pointing to Chao. A light blue fire ball soon shot out of the dragons mouth and engulfed Chao whole. Soon the digital fire disappeared and the sound of Chao's life points dropping could be heard.

Chao-1500 LP  
Juro-4000 LP

"Feel lucky that my third Seiyaryu has no means to attack this turn." Juro smirked as his three dragons roared with delight. "I will end my turn."

Drawing his card, Chao looked at it intently. "I set up one face down card and set this monster in defense mode."

"Enough with defenses!" Kiro yelled from his spot on the side lines. "Offence is the key to victory."

"Not true." Chao simply stated. "I end my turn." Chao calmly said looking back across his two new brown backed cards.

Snapping a card off his deck, Juro whipped it around and finally brought it back to his face. Grimacing at the card he slid it in his hand and outstretched his now empty hand towards the brown card. "Say goodbye, Seiyaryu attack it now!" Another light blue ball of fire formed in the jaws of the massive dragon monster. Bursting it out, the fire ball raced across the field and smashed into the face down card.

"Reveal Penguin Soldier (750/500)!" Chao yelled as a purple penguin monster with red shoulder pads and a short sword appeared just in time to get burned up by the blue fire.

"Not Penguin Soldier!" Juro stepped back, realizing the powerful monster he triggered.

"Penguin Soldier forces you to send the two Seiyaryu that didn't attack back to your hand." The non active purple dragons faded away as Juro slowly picked up their cards. Growling, he slid them back into his hand.

"End turn."

Chao snapped a card off his deck this time and held it up to his eye. "So, you thought you were the only one with a powerful dragon monster?"

"No, but Seiyaryu is the best dragon monster next to Blue Eyes White Dragon. And only a man named Seto Kaiba has them." Juro confidently explained putting his hands on his hips.

"True, the Blue Eyes White Dragon's are supposed to be really powerful, but I can guarantee that your Seiyaryu is not the second ranked dragon monster." Chao said pointing to his face down card. "Go Call of the Haunted. I will pull back my Golem Sentry in attack mode (800/1800)." A large rock monster with a wooden door as a majority of its body appeared on the field. It held out a long stone staff in an offensive stance.

"I don't get it." Juro simply said to the new monster.

"Oh, you'll get it once I play this!" Chao slid a card into his duel disk. The hologram form of the card appeared face up on Chao's field. "This magic card is called Cost Down. I will discard one card from my hand in order to activate it." Chao quickly slid one of the cards in his hand into his grave. "Now all monsters in my hand are two less stars. Which means my dragon is now a one tribute monster rather than a two. I sacrifice my Golem Sentry to summon Tri-Horn Dragon (2850/2350)!"

A large blue dragon monster appeared in the place of the stone guard. It had a scaly red under belly that stretched out to the tip of its long blue tail. I had a golden horn spouting up out of the top of its long head. At the base of this horn, two more sprouted out from both sides of it. Its eyes were cold blood red. An aura emitted off them that seemed wicked.

"I see, it started out as a two tribute monster at level eight, but minus two and it becomes a easy one tribute at level six." Juro said in understanding what he was witnessing.

"Tri-Horn Dragon! Tri-Laser Arrow!" Chao yelled as his dragon opened its mouth. A white essence formed in its jaw that shot out abruptly. The end of it taking the form of an arrow, it shot forward and pierced through the Seiyaryu's chest. The monster exploded into holographic data bits.

Chao-1500 LP  
Juro-3650 LP

"Well, I guess since I ripped your dragon to shreds, I will end my turn so you can mourn your loss." Chao said and his dragon monster gave a wicked chuckle.

"Oh yea, your funny." Juro snapped a card off his deck. "One lucky move and you think you are the king of the world. Activate Pot of Greed!" Juro quickly snapped two cards off the top of his deck and looked at them. "I set two cards face down and set a monster in defense mode. I end my turn."

"Really, is that all you got?" Chao asked as his card was drawn. "I activate the magic card Monster Reborn. Remember that card I discarded for Cost Down?"

"Yea, but I never saw what it was." Juro said admittedly.

"Well I will show you. Rise up, Tri-Horn Dragon!" Chao shot his hand up into the air as a large blast of light erupted from behind him. A shadowy figure made its way out of the light to reveal a second Tri-Horn Dragon. Snarling, it took its place next to the first one.

"What! A second!" Juro started to take steps backwards.

"Yep, and now he will attack your defense. Go Tri-Laser Arrow!" Chao ordered as his monster shot the white arrow energy out at the defensive card. Piercing through it, it was destroyed in a blast of light. "Now go, Tri-Horn Dragon number two! Tri-Laser Arrow! Blast his life points!"

"My life points are off limits to you." Juro yelled as his face down card flipped up. "Reveal Call of the Haunted. I will revive Seiyaryu to intercept your attack!" For the second time, the purple dragon monster was stabbed through the chest as he just barely appeared on the field. Screeching horribly, it fell back into the cemetery.

Chao-1500 LP  
Juro-3300 LP

"Well, at least you are trying to live. I will end my turn now." Chao said in a pleasant manner.

"Don't get so smug, my dragons may have been removed from the field quickly," a small smile cross the kids face, "but they are far from done."

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And an update on this. Sorry guys, it has been a while since I updated this. I am trying to work it out that I can get at least a little more time. That way I can have more time to write. I have been quite busy lately.

To LucienShadowMaster: Those people at the end? They were the ones that worked in the lab and wanted to study the ancient writing on the temple at Kiro's house. And she is the only one in this story so far to have beat Kiro. Check out chapter 6 for exact detail.

To John: Make as many fire puns as you like. Andron is no longer around to get mad at you.

To Gate Guardian32: Well soon enough we will meat all of them. Just keep reading to find out.

To Demon Fan: Sorry I didn't update sooner.  
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	12. Tablet of Dragon's Blood

Chapter 12: Tablet of Dragon's Blood

Chao crossed his arms across his chest smiling wide. His two Tri-Horn Dragons stood in front of him, growling deep in their throats at Juro.

"Draw!" Juro yelled as he snapped a card off his deck. "I slide one card face down on the field and," holding the card up to his face a smile creased his lips. "Summon Baby Seiyaryu (500/300) in attack mode!" On the field, a small purple dragon appeared. It looked like a tiny Seiyaryu but didn't have as big of wings or a beak yet. It scuddled around Juro's field like a baby would.

"What is that!" Chao asked as the baby stuck it's tongue out at him.

"This monster is a powerful one. See during your standby phase, I can sacrifice him to summon a Seiyaryu from my hand or deck to the field. Now I end my turn."

"Then I draw..." Chao snapped the card off his deck only to be stopped by a flashing light. On Juro's field, the little baby monster had suddenly started glowing and growing. When the light faded again, the purple dragon monster was standing in its place. Seiyaryu (2500/2300) had returned.

"But that isn't all, look." Juro pointed to a trap that had flipped up also. "This is called Thunder of Ruler. I activate it during your standby phase. Now you cannot conduct an attack this turn."

"So you saved your monster from an attack this turn. Bravo, you might turn the tide of this duel yet." Chao said sliding a card face down behind his two dragons. "Turn end."

_"What is he talking about?"_ Kiro asked from the side lines to the three spirits in his head. _"That dragon has less attack points then Chao's two plus I haven't seen this kid play very many good cards." _

_("I think what he means is that the brutal strength of his beast isn't the only force it has. Remember Kiro, sometimes the weak can overpower the strong.")_ Kooru commented while sitting in a mental meditative state.

_"Right..."_ Kiro said rolling his eyes.

"Draw!" Juro yelled snapping a card off his deck. "You don't stand a chance against me now. My great dragon will overpower yours in any battle."

"Try it." Chao said bringing his duel disk up to his chest like a warrior holding up his shield.

"I shall, activate face down magic card!" The card on Juro's field sprung to life and flipped up. "I activate Magic card Dragon's Blood Sacred Sealing Tablet !" The magic card had a large circular tablet on it. A skeleton of a dragon wrapped it self around this tablet with glowing red eyes in its skull. Small orbs were imbedded into the stone with blood inside them. Blood from a dragon.

"What does your card do?" Kiro asked from the sideline. He didn't like the look of it.

"You see boys and hag..." Stopping to get the glare from Kaira, Juro continued. "I must pay 1000 life points to activate it but a Dragon type monster on my field now gains 1000 attack!"

Chao-1500 LP  
Juro-2300 LP

The magic card started glowing and a strange blood red aura flowed around the purple dragon. It's normal blue eyes started to glow angry red and a horrid rumble came from deep in its throat as it's power shot up (3500/2300).

"Ok," Chao had a confused look on his face. "I can think of other equipments, like say Axe of Despair that give 1000 attack power but don't cost a thing."

"Yes, Axe of Despair is a good card but it doesn't carry with it all the power that this tablet does." Juro smiled as he pointed to Chao. "Say goodbye to your dragon, Mystic Flame!" Charging up a large ball of blue fire in it's jaw, the dragon shot it across the field incinerating the blue dragon.

Chao-850 LP  
Juro-2300 LP

"And now the power of my seal kicks in. Whatever monster is equipped with it now gains this mystic power. When it destroys a monster I can pull all copies of the said monster from my deck, hand, or graveyard and summon them to the field. Lookie, I get three Seiyaryu (2500/2300)!" He said slamming one card from his hand onto the disk and grabbing another card as it was ejected from the grave. Two more purple dragons appeared on each side of the powered up one. "Your move."

Drawing a card, Chao added it to his hand. _"I could wipe out one of his weaker dragons but next turn he will just blast me with the most powerful one. That gives him the power to summon the other two back and he could attack me for the win with them."_ Grimacing, Chao looked down at his hand. _"I see now that this kid is a good duelist. I am the best duelist in the school. That is what the people claim. I have not dueled one person and that is Kiro. I saw his Gravekeepers in that last duel he had and they seemed powerful." _

"Are we going to go anywhere?" Juro asked as Chao seemed to drift off.

"Yea, we are." Chao said snapping a card out of his hand. "I set one monster face down defense mode and attack one of your dragons with Tri-Laser Arrow!" Chao pointed to one of the weaker dragons and within seconds the great beast was pierced through.

Chao-850 LP  
Juro-1950 LP

"Turn end."

"Your last turn." Juro said drawing his next card. He pointed to the last Tri-Horn Dragon. "Mystic Flame of Dragon Blood!" He yelled as his powered up dragon monster created a blue fire ball in it's mouth. Roaring, the ball of fire shot out and incinerated the dragon whole.

Chao-200 LP  
Juro-1950 LP

"This is where you end." Juro smiled wide as his third Seiyaryu appeared on the field again. "Attack his set monster! Mystic Flame!" Again, a blue fire ball was formed and shot out.

"NO!" Kaira yelled from the side line as the blast tore up the face down monster.

"Sorry to inform you but my face down monster card was a monster known as The Unhappy Maiden (0/100). When she is destroyed in battle, your battle phase ends immediately." Chao explained as he slid the card with a very poor looking red haired girl into his graveyard.

"Good Dueling. I will end my turn." Juro complimented as his three dragons screeched loudly.

_"I know my deck has the power to beat this guy. I need to finish this soon or he may win! Come on, where are the cards I put in to win in tight spots?"_ Chao questioned placing his fingers on his deck. "Draw!" Snapping the card off his deck he slid it into his duel disk. "Pot of Greed lets me draw twice!" Chao yelled as he snapped two cards off his deck. Looking at the newly drawn magic cards, he figured out what he needed to do. He added them to the Golem Sentry in his hand and the two magic cards already there.

"Did you draw something good?" Juro asked but soon realized it was a stupid questioned as Chao began to smile a mile wide.

"Yep, watch, first I play Spell Absorption. This will give me 500 life points every time a magic card is played. Now I activate my Altar of Resurrection. This magic card says I remove the top two cards from my deck from game and I get to pull one card back from my graveyard and add it to my hand. The card I chose...Monster Reborn!" Chao said sliding the said magic card out of his graveyard slot.

Chao-700 LP  
Juro-1950 LP

"Monster Reborn?" Juro asked under his breath but soon he realized that it had been used.

_/Flashback/ _

_/ "I activate the magic card Monster Reborn. Remember that card I discarded for Cost Down?"_

_"Yea, but I never saw what it was." Juro said admittedly._

_"Well I will show you. Rise up, Tri-Horn Dragon!" Chao shot his hand up into the air as a large blast of light erupted from behind him. A shadowy figure made its way out of the light to reveal a second Tri-Horn Dragon. Snarling, it took its place next to the first one./_

_/End Flashback/_

"Oh no." Juro's eyes wide now, not sure exactly what Chao was doing but he didn't like the look of determination in Chao's eyes.

"I play Monster Reborn and revive my Tri-Horn Dragon (2850/2350) in attack mode!" Chao yelled raising his hand to the sky. The large blue dragon monster appeared behind him in a burst of light. "Now activate magic card Giant Trunade! I return all magic and trap cards on the field back to their owners hands." He said pointing to the Dragon's Blood Sacred Sealing Tablet. "That includes you little magic card."

Chao-1200 LP  
Juro-1950 LP

"No." Juro saddly said as he removed the magic card from his duel disk and placed it in his hand weakening his Seiyaryu (2500/2300) back to its original stats.

"Hold on, I am not done yet. I activate my finial magic card, Exchange!" Chao said slamming the card into his duel disk. "Now we get to exchange one card in each of our hands." Chao began to walk to the middle of the field where Juro met him and held out his hand. Chao quickly grabbed the Dragon's Blood Sacred Sealing Tablet and Juro took a monster known as Golem Setnry.

"Now I am toast." Juro sighed to himself as he trudged back to his field.

"I activate Dragon's Blood Sacred Sealing Tablet!" Chao yelled as this time, the magic card appeared on his field. His dragon started to glow with the blood red aura. Roaring it took a more offensive and wild stance (3850/2350). "Attack, Dragon Blood Laser Arrow!" Chao ordered as his monster shot out a ray of light that engulfed a whole Seiyaryu. Once the light faded nothing was left of the beast.

Chao-200 LP  
Juro-600 LP

"And as the ruels of your Tablet go I get to pull all copies of that monster from my hand deck or grave so come out my other two Tri-Horn Dragons (2850/2350)!" Chao yelled as on both sides of his powered up dragon two identical mosnters appeared. "Now to finish. Tri-Horn Dragons! Double Tri-Laser Arrow!" Opening their mouths the two dragons shot out a ray of light that swallowed both the purple dragons whole.

Chao-200 LP  
Juro-0 LP

"Looks like I win." Chao said walking up to the kid. Smiling, Chao held out the Dragon's Blood Sacred Sealing Tablet.

"Um." Juro looked at the card. It had just been used to wipe him out. "Thanks." He mumbled as he took it and handed Chao's card back to him.

"Good dueling." Chao said turning back to Kaira and Kiro. "Maybe we can have a rematch some time." He began to walk away from the stunned kid.

"Yea, I would like that." Juro called after Chao. "See you later Chao!" He said waving his arm as the three of them walked off.

* * *

The three of them walked down the street in silence before Kaira spoke. 

"Good dueling out there Chao."

"Thank you." He replied back with a face wide smile.

"Yea, you almost made us slave dogs to a bunch of kids." Kiro growled under his breath.

"But he didn't." Kaira protested.

"Doesn't matter. He should learn to duel better." Kiro said placing his hands on the back of his head while he walked.

"You want to go tuff guy?" Chao asked.

"I have the trials to worry about, you can go off and duel for fun if you wish, I have more important things to do then duel with a weakling like you." Kiro started to speed up as he walked so he was walking out in front of the other two.

"Yea, explain to me these trials again." Chao said turning to Kaira. Kaira began to explain about Kiro's quest and what he must do to free the three spirits in his body.

* * *

"The time draws near Salacia." The robed figure in the middle of the circle of cloaked figures spoke in his low raspy voice. 

"I just hope that he is strong enough to beat me and move forward to defeat Iah and Gallus." Salacia said motioning to two of the other figures in the circle. A high fragile female voice answered back.

"Yes, well we can't let him win. Remember that. He must win to increase his power and the force he will need to expel the spirits from his body." Iah spoke.

"Even if he gets past the two of you, he can't beat me. I have too much power." Gallus, the other figure spoke in a deep manly voice but his body was thin and wiry even with the cloak on. "I have won many a time in my past."

"We know Gallus and we hope your time comes." Salacia said as she looked at Andron's empty fire orb. "I never thought that this time it would come to me. Andron was a powerful duelist that few have ever gotten past." Salacia narrowed her eyes. "Especially seeing as the boy summoned up another of the inner power of his deck, during the match!"

"Yes, but that shows what an exceptional warrior he is." Iah commented back.

"Let us not underestimate him at all." The center figure spoke again. "He has proven him self worthy of our trials just by passing Andron's test of fire."

"Yes." Gallus spoke in. "The heart of a warrior beats inside his chest. The blood of battle flows through him, and thousands of years of destiny lay on his shoulders. Let us hope that he is truly the one who is meant to unlock the gateway with the trikey."

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Hi ya people. So tell me what you think of my story so far. Soon enough we will be getting to the second trial but for now feast your eyes on these two fillers. Anyways, gives you a break from Kiro dueling.

Also, in the sense of shameless advertising, you should check out my cowriten fic "World Round Tournament" located in my account. We would really love your opinions on it.

To John: Yes it is. What did you think of that dragon on dragon battle?

To LucienShadowMaster: Well, I never said that Tri-Horn Dragon was the second ranked dragon. But he said that Seiyaryu isn't the second ranked dragon. Which he is true on, as you pointed out (non ritual or fusion) the Tri-Horn Dragon and the Tyrant Dragon are higher in attack power.  
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	13. Chao's Dueling Date Bet

Chapter 13: Chao's Dueling Date Bet

The group of three, Kaira, Chao, and Kiro were trudging along down the street. The three of them had decided to head to Kiro's house. Well actually, Kiro decided to go and Kaira and Chao decided to follow.

A lot of the city was still in ruin and panic from the fire last night. Many smoking piles of wood where a house or a tree once stood now littered the ground. Many people were already hard at work to rebuild what the fire had destroyed.

"Look at the destruction the first trial brought to this city." Kaira said looking around.

"Yea." Chao said agreeing with her.

_("Nothing compared to what we have seen.")_ Heruru commented with his mental body standing against a mental wall. He had his arms crossed and his head bowed.

"Heruru said that this is nothing." Kiro relayed to the other two that couldn't contact the spirits.

_("But we must think that this was but the first trial and the first tester and look what he did without breaking a sweat.")_ Kooru said in his meditative state.

_("Yea, look at what he did alone. Think of what the others could do if they are stronger.")_ Hebanu said with a lazy body, arms draped to his side and a tiered and sad look on his face.

Kaira was trying to avoid looking at the two boys as tears began to well up in her eyes. _"Dad, Deruku why did you have to die?"_ She had slowed her walking as she started sniffling.

"Kaira, you going to be ok?" Chao asked turning to her.

"Suck it up Kaira." Kiro said stopping but not turning to her. "Death is a part of life. I am sorry that you family got in the way of my destiny." To this, Kaira fell to her knees on the sidewalk and began crying into her hands. Chao walked over to her and started to rub her back.

"Kiro, why do you have to be such an ass hole?" Chao asked.

"Well, who said I was the ass hole?" He questioned, still not turning to face them. "Andron burned her stupid family to death." More tears flowed out of Kaira's eyes as she cried louder on the sidewalk.

"You could show some compassion for her loss you jerk." Chao said standing up straight and walking up next to the kneeling Kaira. "But no, not you. The great and godly Kiro could never care what happens to us. We are stupid and insignificant in your eyes."

"True. All that matters to me is getting these three spirits out of my body." Kiro, still refusing to turn around, said.

"Well we are not worthless!" Chao snapped stomping up to Kiro. "And face me when I am talking to you god dammit!" Chao grabbed a hold of Kiro shoulder with his left hand and pulled the kid to turn around. Then with his right hand punched Kiro right in the jaw. Kiro's head went snapping off to his right and he stumbled back a bit.

"Damn you." Kiro said rubbing his jaw. "I have ancient spirits in here that all three of them, even the piece loving one, that want to rip you apart." He held up his right hand with the leather glove on it. All three of the orbs embedded in it began to glow.

"So you are to weak to fight your own battle?" Chao said slowly taking a step towards Kiro. "For all the talk you aren't so tough if you run and hid behind ancient spirits. Sounds like you are the weakest person I know."

"Heh, weak?" Kiro asked cracking the joints in his right hand just by toughening up his muscles. "You want to see weak?" Kiro asked in a 'stupid question' voice.

"Bring it on tough guy. How about you and me. Or can't you fight without your spirits to change your diaper?" A large grin covered Chao face but was soon knocked off of it as Kiro gave a strong right hook right on Chao's chin sending him spiraling to the ground.

"That's payback for that blow you gave me." Kiro said standing over the stunned Chao.

_"So fast."_

"Looks like I can level you out with one hit." Kiro said turning to walk away. "So now who was the weakling?"

"You may be stronger then me at that but you aren't smarter." Chao said from his spot on the ground. Reaching out he grabbed Kiro's leg and pulled back really hard. The unsuspecting Kiro soon found himself colliding with the cement of the sidewalk below.

Both boys quickly got to their feet and started to deal punches at each other. Chao's punches were powerful but not quite as powerful as Kiro's who in three punches had sent Chao flying backwards through a burnt fence that was just barely standing any more.

Kaira was now standing and running to the two boys. Kiro had jumped through the fence after Chao. "Stop it, stop it." She said in an angry tone over and over again. The words never seemed to reach the two boys though as Kiro and Chao were sent fling back as Chao tackled Kiro to the ground. "Stop it, stop it!" Kaira continued to pled with the boys.

The two of them rolled around on the ground in a power struggle. Kiro may have had more strength the Chao but Chao could keep the momentum going trying to keep Kiro down. Kiro though finally got his foot loose enough to kick Chao off of him and scramble to his feet.

"So you want to roll around on the ground like an animal?" Kiro said, breathing hard as Chao scrambled to his feet as well. "Like a mangy dog."

"Dog!" Chao yelled at Kiro and took off running at him. Holding up his fist by his head, he pulled it back and swung in forward at Kiro's face. Kiro quickly side stepped and grabbed Chao's arm. Wrenching it back, he soon had it pressed against the lower part of Chao's back. Chao grunted in pain as he fell to his knees.

"You thought you could over power me?" Kiro glared down at the boy, his eyes cold and ruthless. "Don't you understand yet that I am not like any normal human. Not only do I have the spirits inside me, but from that fact alone my body had to adjust."

"...What?" Chao snarled out still in mass amounts of pain from his arm being wrenched up to his back.

"They were much stronger than I am even at present. Think about it." Kiro said pushing Chao to the ground and letting go of his arm. "Just the first time they possessed my body, just there spiritual strength boosted my actual prowess. Plus, Heruru hates being weak so most of the time when he is in control of the body he was training. Believe me, you have no clue how soar I have been after his training."

Chao stumbled to his feet holding onto the arm the Kiro had wrenched.

"Just from that, I am stronger, faster, and more enduring to battle. All I know about these spirits is that they were some kind of warrior." Kiro growled and started to walk towards Kaira who was still standing in the hole in the fence. She stepped back as he walked through the fence. Chao walked up next to her and watched as he was slowly walking down the side walk.

"Jerk." Chao whispered under his breath so that only Kaira could hear it, or so he thought.

"And my hearing is better than most normal humans." Kiro said stopping in mid stride. Chao's face started to turn ghostly white at this. Without turning around he sighed. "Kaira."

"Um...yea?" She said, not expecting him to suddenly talk to her.

"As it is my destiny that got your family killed do to the trial that was fought on your house. I will..." Kiro cut himself off to take another deep sigh. "...let you stay at the temple until you find a better place to live."

"Huh?" Kaira was taken back by the sudden generosity. "...Um, thank you." She said with a little happiness in her voice.

"Wow," Chao was astonished by the gesture. "Now see, was it so hard to be nice?"

"Want to go again? I will kill you if I must to shut you up." Kiro glared daggers at him out of the corner of his eye. "And you know I have the power to." He then continued to walk down the street, Kaira and Chao following behind him by a ways.

* * *

The center figure looked at the stone pillar that belonged to Andron. The lime green fire had been put out once Andron had fallen. "Salacia, the time of the sun yellow moon is coming."

"Are you worried about it?" Salacia asked leaning up against her post.

"Yes, worried of the possibility that he isn't the one." The center figure turned to face Salacia. "The lock on the gate of destiny is heavy and thick. There is so much energy running through its steel frame built up from billions of years. But I sense he knows more about it now."

"How could he know about it?" Salacia asked. "We are all sworn to not reveal anything about the trikey or the lock of three seals! Andron knew that well."

"It wasn't Andron if my guess is right." The figure said in a raspy voice. "I believe it is a connection to his monsters and maybe the connections to the ancient past."

"Doesn't that prove than that he is the one? Part of the trikey." Salacia started to take a step towards the cloaked figure. "If he already has been informed of the trikey and has all ready to date unlocked half of the ancient beasts in his deck. Once during a trial!"

"Yes, that all is true."

"That must prove that he is the one. He already has made it farther in knowledge and power than any predecessor." Salacia looked around at the other testers who seemed to be pleased with the facts presented to them.

"But we cannot be for sure until the time comes that he finishes the ten trials and unlocks the lock of three seals." The center figure said. "And the second test starts tonight, are you ready to pass judgement on him in the test of the sun yellow moon?"

"I am completely ready to face him." Salacia said with pure confidence. "And I am ready to push him to the limits."

"No freebies for him." Iah commented finally. She was also leaning up against her post.

"No," The center figure replied. "We must not let him win. The safety of this world may depend on him. If he were to just breeze through this, all hell would break loose when the time came for the restoration."

"Yea." The whole group agreed.

"True but I still think the evidence it overwhelming in his favor." Salacia said looking over at Andron's dead orb. "Right there was his first step."

* * *

"Ooh, I am hungry." Kaira commented pointing to a restaurant as they were walking down the street.

"We don't have the time to stop." Kiro growled looking over at the restaurant.

"And what do we have to do today?" Kaira asked jogging up to Kiro's side. "We have nothing to do until the trial tonight."

"Fine, we will stop." Kiro growled and started to stroll over to the restaurant. Walking into the outdoor table area, Kiro sat down at an empty table followed by Kaira and Chao. As they were sitting down a cute waitress with strawberry colored hair walked up to them.

"What can I get for you?" She asked in a sweet tone.

"I would love a cheeseburger!" Kaira said with a glee that she was actually going to get food.

"Just a cup of straight coffee for me." Kiro said leaning back in his chair.

"Same." Chao said to the waitress.

"Ok, back in a minute." She said turning to go and retrieve the order.

Chao sighed and reached into his pocket pulling out a stack of cards. Laying them out on the table he pulled out his deck and started to lay it out. Slowly he started picking up some cards and laying in new ones right where the old ones used to be.

"Nice cards." Kaira said admiring the cards. "Really good deck."

"Good deck?" Kiro grumbled from across the table. "He has defensive cards and his three dragons. And most of those monsters need to be flipped summoned on their own like Golem Sentry."

"I know, that is why I am changing it a bit. That kid stepped on that pretty hard with his quick summoning of Sieyaryu." Chao said picking up another card. "But not all the time is a good offense the key to victory." As he was saying this the waitress set down two cups of coffee for each boy.

"I will be back with your cheeseburger miss." She said turning and walking away.

"So lets see, this should work." Chao said happily as he started to gather up his cards. "Seeing how out of it you were this morning Kiro, I may need to duel any duels like that we had to face this morning."

"Out of it?" Kiro asked glaring coldly at Chao.

"Yea," Chao said placing his deck back into his deck box. "You were completely out of it. It looked as if you were having a nightmare but we tried shaking you, calling to you, and even slapping you on the face. Eventually those kids came along and started that whole thing they did."

"Yea, I guess I was having a nightmare." Kiro said dropping his gaze down to the table. "A very informative nightmare."

"Informative?" Both Kaira and Chao said at the same time. "How can a nightmare be informative?"

"Well," Kiro started, "I was standing in a ring of pure lime green fire. The walls of this fire stretched high and the heat from them I could feel all around me. Then I met the Reaper of the Cards."

"Reaper of the Cards?" Chao said shifting through a pile of his cards that were still on the table. Pulling out one card he flipped it around. "This card?"

"Yea, that is him." Kiro said looking at the effect monster card.

"Reaper of the Cards." Kaira read. "Fiend, effect, Flip, Destroy one trap card on the field, if this card's target is face-down, flip the card face-up. If the card is a trap card it is destroyed. If not, it is returned to its face-down position. The flipped card in not activated." She sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Not bad. Its five stars with a 1380 attack though. Nice 1930 defense power though."

"Yea, plus a nice effect if used right." Chao put in, looking back over at Kiro. "Now how did you meet him?"

"Well, he was trying to kill me. But all of my Gravekeepers showed up to protect me." Chao listened intently as he placed the Reaper of the Cards back into the pile of cards. "They told me that I am very important because I am part of the trikey. The key needed to bring Kooru, Heruru, and Hebanu back into this world."

_("WHAT!")_ Heruru screamed inside Kiro's head. Kiro jerked forward with Heruru's sudden out burst. _("How come you didn't tell us of this before?")_

_"I don't know."_ Kiro growled back.

"Spirit problems?" Kaira asked seeing Kiro's reaction. Slowly her tone shifted from curiosity to interest as she smelled a wonderful sent coming towards her. Looking she saw the strawberry haired waitress coming with a plate in her hand. Setting it down in front of Kaira she smiled and looked around at the three of them.

"Anything else I can do for you?" She asked.

"No I think we are fine." Chao said with a smile on his face. Looking down he saw a name tag pined to her. "Emi Takato."

"Yep, I see you don't even remember my name Chao Ryota." Emi said giving a confused Chao a warm smile.

"Do I know you?" Chao asked searching his memory for any recollection of the girl standing before him.

"You should. We met at that tournament once." Emi said pulling out a deck of Duel Monster cards. "Remember our bet?"

"Bet?" Chao said still thinking back for the girl. Then it hit him like a brick wall. "Emi Takato! Aw, Shit." Chao's head dropped hitting the table.

"What bet did you make?" Kaira asked between bits of her cheeseburger. Without raising his head off the table Chao answered.

"We met in the finials of a tournament. We wanted to make it more exciting so we made a bet. If she won I gave her my set of Tri-Horn Dragons, If I won I got to take her out on a date."

"Right, and I grew to like you. I even gave you my number and you never called." Emi wiped a tear off her cheek. "So what about me did you hate. You never wanted to see me again so you avoided me."

"No no." Chao said standing up. "I don't hate you. I just lost your number."

"Likely story." Emi said pointing to Chao. "But I pushed on every day hoping that I would some day see you again. I need to know why you hate me."

"I don't hate you, at that time I really did lose your number. I had a hole in my pocket." Chao said holding up his hands by his face as if Emi's finger was a gun. "I didn't know you last name as I wrote it on the paper and I had no way to find you again."

_("Hehe, She is going to kill him.")_ Heruru chuckled in Kiro's head. _("It is always the sweet ones that are the meanest.") _

"Yea, sorry I have no popcorn to enjoy this show with." Kiro responded.

"What can I do to make it up to you Emi?" Chao pleaded with her.

"I will tell you how." Emi said walking back into the building before finishing her sentence.

"Um,...ok." Chao said standing in a sea of gazing eyes all focused on him. Emi emerged from the building a second later and tossed Chao a white duel disk.

"Let us repeat the stakes of that final match. I win, I get your set of Tri-Horn Dragons. I lose, I get a date with you." Emi said sliding a second duel disk on her wrist.

"So it is win win for you." Chao said cocking his eyebrow.

"More or less, now let's duel!" Emi yelled raising her arm up into the air. Her duel disk snapped into place. From her other hand she pulled out her Duel Monsters deck and snapped it into the deck slot. "Ready Chao?"

"Um...sure." Chao said strapping on the duel disk and sliding his deck into the deck slot. Humming to life, his duel disk snapped into place. "I guess, if this is what you want."

"It is. No more talk, My move!"

Chao-4000 LP  
Emi-4000 LP

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Hey, it is me again. Tell me what you think. And please review, I enjoy reading your comments. I am mostly willing to answer any questions you have.

To John: True, but more or less we were talking about king of attacks. Nail Spirit Ryu without a dragon on hand he isn't going to stand up to these big dragons.

To Demon Fan: Oh it's ok. No harm done. And Kiro will get the spot light back soon. He has nine more trials to go through.

To LucienShadowMaster: Contraction.

To Gate Guardian32: Yea, computers are a pain aren't they?  
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	14. Date Duel Date

Chapter 14: Date Duel Date

"Let us repeat the stakes of that final match. I win, I get your set of Tri-Horn Dragons. I lose, I get a date with you." Emi said sliding a duel disk on her wrist.

"So it is win win situation for you." Chao said cocking his eyebrow.

"More or less, now let's duel!" Emi yelled raising her arm up into the air. Her duel disk snapped into place. From her other hand she pulled out her Duel Monsters deck and snapped it into the deck slot. "Ready Chao?"

"Um...sure." Chao said strapping on the duel disk and sliding his deck into the deck slot. Humming to life, his duel disk snapped into place. "I guess, if this is what you want."

"It is. No more talk, My move!"

Chao-4000 LP  
Emi-4000 LP

Snapping six cards off her deck, Emi gazed over her new cards. "I will set one monster in defense mode and end my turn." Emi said sliding the cards into a horizontal position on the duel disk. In a flash of light, the brown backed card hologram appeared before her.

_"Starting off slow." _Chao gazed at the card. "Draw!" Chao announced snapping a card off his deck. Smiling at what it was he placed it onto the duel disk. "I summon a monster known as Grave Ohja (1600/1500) in attack mode!" On Chao's field a large purple stone like body appeared. The strange beast had large blue and purple objects covering it's forarms, long pointed claws with blood on the tips stretched out from the ends of its arms.

"Wow, an actual attack monster outside his dragons." Kiro said surprised with Chao's monster. He and Kaira were still sitting at the table watching Chao's and Emi's duel.

"Shut up!" Chao growled at him. Then bringing his attention back to the duel he pointed to the downed monster. "Attack Grave Ohja! Grave Claw!" Chao's monster roared and charged across the field. Rearing back it's arm it stabbed through the defensive monster's card. Just as the card was being destroyed a small fairy that seemed transparent appeared for a second screaming in pain.

"You have attacked my Skelengel (900/400)." Emi said sliding the card into her graveyard. "When it is flipped I get to draw one more card."

Chao growled in his throat before waving his arm across his body. "Alright, I set two cards face down and I am done with my turn."

"Good." Emi said drawing a card. "Next comes the magic card Snatch Steal! Thanks to this magic card I can take control of one of your monsters." Emi explained sliding the card into her duel disk. A light blue aura appeared around the Grave Ohja, causing it to roar and float over to Emi's field.

"But during my standby phases I gain 1000 life points." Chao said pleased with the life he was going to gain.

"True, but I will sacrifice your Grave Ohja to summon this monster!" The fearsome looking monster faded away and in a burst of light, a large floating crystal appeared in its spot. Inside the crystal a beautiful fairy monster with long blond hair appeared. "Fairy in the Crystal (2000/1300). Thanks to her ability, I send cards from the top of my deck to the grave to summon four Fairy Tokens (500/500)." On her field four large purple and blue stones appeared, two on each side of the fairy in the large crystal.

"NO!" Chao's eyes widened. "Their attack total up to 4000 points of damage!"

"Right," Emi sighed. "Too bad I won't get that date. I guess though your Tri-Horn Dragons will be good enough. ATTACK!" She announced pointing to Chao.

"Wrong!" Chao swung his arm down pointing to one of his face down cards. "Activate trap card. Enchanted Javelin!" This will increase my life points by the attack of your Fairy in the Crystal!" The trap flipped up just as a burst of light came from the large crystal. Showering Chao in a bright white light, he had to shield his eyes from the light.

Chao-6000 LP--4000 LP  
Emi-4000 LP

"But my other four tokens blast 2000 points off your life!" Emi yelled as the four stone fairies slid across the field and slammed into Chao knocking him backwards. Bracing himself from falling over, Chao rubbed the bottom of his chin with the back of his hand.

Chao-2000 LP  
Emi-4000 LP

"Then my turn is done." Emi said. Chao, walking back to his spot drew a card off his deck.

"Time to take back control of this duel. I play Brain Control!" Sliding the magic card into his duel disk the hologram appeared in shower of white sparks. "It costs me 800 life points but I get to control your Fairy in the Crystal for one turn!"

Chao-1200 LP  
Emi-4000 LP

Out of the holographic rendering of the card, two large green arms reached out across the field. Grabbing a hold on the large crystal monster it drug it back over to Chao's field.

"Now I summon Moai Interceptor Cannons (1100/2000) in attack mode!" On Chaos' field a large stone carving of a head appeared. Large stone gears started to move opening the mouth of the large stone head. Inside it's mouth a large cannon wheeled itself forward. "Moai Interceptor Cannon attack her Fairy Token! Stone Cannon!" Chao announced pointing to the crystal carving of the fairy. A large yellow blast of energy blasted out towards the token monster. The ray shot through the monster leaving a large smoking hole. Soon cracks started to spread out and the entire token monster broke to pieces.

Chao-1200 LP  
Emi-3400 LP

"Now Fairy in the Crystal attack anther Fairy Token!" Chao announced pointing to another token. The large crystal monster started to rotate clockwise slowly. Soon it started to pick up speed and eventually a bright glow came from inside of it. The light showered over the other token monster destroying it instantly.

Chao-1200 LP  
Emi-1900 LP

"Fool." Emi said pleased with Chao's move. "When two of these Fairy Tokens are destroyed I get to pull a magic card out of my deck in exchange for skipping my next draw phase." Emi slid her deck out of her deck slot and started to thumb through it. Finally she stopped at a card and slipped it out. Then giving her deck a few quick shuffles she slid it back into there deck slot.

"Then I use his effect to flip my Moai Interceptor Cannons face down and end my turn." Chao said bitting his lip. She just had access to any magic card in her deck.

"And since your turn has ended I get back my Fairy in the Crystal." Emi said watching her large monster slid back to her field. "But this turn I cannot draw. Oh well, no attack so I will switch my two remaining tokens to defense mode and set two cards face down. That is my turn Chao." Emi smiled as two brown cards appeared behind her fairies.

Drawing a card, Chao stared at it. _"She is good. Better than the last time we played." _Chao added the card to his hand and looked over what else he had. "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn." The horizontal monster card appeared next to the one already set on Chao's field.

"So, is that the best you can do?" Emi asked with a wide smile on her face. Placing her fingers on the top card of her deck she snapped it off. "I will place this monster on the field. Go Shining Friendship (1300/1100) in attack mode!" In a ball of light a small ball fairy appeared. It was lime green in color with a golden halo above it's round bouncy head. Out of its back, large golden wings spread out.

"Shining Friendship!" Kiro face distorted in an attempt to hold back a laugh. Inside his mind, Heruru was rolling on the floor with laughter. Hebanu was glaring at him while Kooru just sat with his eyes close.

"Yea, Shining Friendship." Emi said placing her hands on her hips and snarling at Kiro. "Now attack Shining Friendship!"

"What?" Chao was stunned with Emi's attack.

"Don't worry Chao." Emi said reassuring him. One of her face down cards began to flip up. "This trap is called Sacrifice Attack. For as many monsters that I destroy on my field, I can negate that many attacks. I can sacrifice two monsters..or should I say monster tokens!"

"No!" Chao's eyes widened as the green fairy monster stopped in dead air and the two stone carving faded away. "Now you get another magic card!"

"Yep." Emi smiled and pulled out her deck again. Finding the desired card, she shuffled her deck again and placed it back in her deck slot. "Turn end."

"Draw!" Chao called out snapping a card off his deck. _"Well now would be a good time to bring out Tri-Horn Dragon, if I had him in my hand."_ Chao pointed to his face down card. Slowly it flipped up and started to glow. "I activate Jar of Greed to draw one card." Placing his fingers on his deck, Chao closed his eyes and prayed. Slowly he snapped the card off his deck and held it up to his face. Slowly opening his eyes a smile appeared on his face from ear to ear.

"What did you draw?" Emi's voice rang with fear as she saw Chao's big smile.

"First things first. I flip summon my face down monster Medusa Worm (500/600)!" From under the newly set card a red spiky worm began to crawl out. Slowly it began to lift itself up and started to growl in a low, shaky rumble. "Medusa Worm destroys one monster on your field when it is flipped up. I destroy Fairy in the Crystal!" Growling, the worm charged across the field, jumping onto the crystal monster. In a burst of bright light the monster was gone and the worm fell to the ground.

"My fairy!" Emi said watching the hideous worm monster slither back to Chao's field.

"Next I sacrifice it and my down Moai Interceptor Cannons to summon Tri-Horn Dragon (2850/2350)!" The spiky worm creature and the brown backed card faded away slowly as the virtual version of the Tri-Horn Dragon card appeared behind them. The card started to ripple as the large blue dragon monster began to step out of it. Standing up straight the monster whipped it's long scaly tail around. The tri-horned monster roared scaring the little green fairy monster. "Attack Shining Friendship! Tri-Laser Arrow!" Out of the dragon's jaws, a large white beam of light the shaped off into an arrow at the end blasted out and right through the Shining Friendship. Screeching in pain, the monster broke apart.

Chao-1200 LP  
Emi-350 LP

"Good, I set one card face down and call my turn to an end." Chao said sliding the card into his magic and trap zone.

"Enough!" Emi yelled from her side of the field. "I have waited for you for a long time Chao. Now do you understand that you broke my heart?"

"I am sorry Emi, I really did lose your number. I would have called." Chao pleaded with her. "I would have called you. I did try looking you up but the tournament only kept the records of the winner of the tournament. The records of the participants were destroyed."

"Right, but that isn't the point any more Chao."

"What is the point now?" Chao asked slightly tilting his head.

"The fact I will break your heart, I will take what you held so dear to you. It is time for you to feel a bit of the pain I have felt these years waiting for you. Open Face down card!" Emi yelled pointing to the face down card on her field. "Tribute to the doomed! I discard one card to destroy your Tri-Horn Dragon! This should do good." Emi said sliding one card into her graveyard so the Chao could see the face.

_"Back to Square One!" _

"Now watch Chao, I will break your heart by beating you with your very own dragon." She said pulling a card out of her hand and holding it high above her head. "Ready? Well I play Monster Reborn to revive your Tri-Horn Dragon!" The holographic rendering of the Monster Reborn began to glow. Once the glow faded away, Chao's dragon had taken residence on Emi's field. "Attack your former master, Tri-Laser Arrow!"

"Not quite!" Chao yelled as his face down card flipped up. "Waboku will make the damage done to me zero for this turn."

"Nice. you saved yourself once. Won't happen again, end turn." Emi proudly said crossing her arms. _"With Chao's dragon beside me, I can't lose."_

"Emi, I hate to tell you this but you allowed me to win." Chao announced pulling the top card off his deck.

"How did I do that?" Emi asked uncrossing her arms. She leaned forward with interest at what Chao had to say.

"By playing Tribute to the Doomed, you discarded the one card I need." Chao said placing a card from his hand into this duel disk. "I activate the magic card Spider Web! This gives me that card!"

"Card? Oh no, Back to Square One!" Emi said realizing the situation.

"Yep, I activate Back to Square One, this allows me to discard one card from my hand to the grave." He said sliding his newly drawn card into his graveyard slot. "Now I get to return one monster on the field back to the top of its owners deck I chose to return Tri-Horn Dragon to the top of my deck!" Roaring, the blue dragon disappeared in a shower of white and pink lights. "Now the final card in my hand. I summon Giant Rat (1400/1450) in attack mode!" A light blue rat monster appeared on Chao's field. It was holding a skull in its rat like hands. Standing on two feet it squeaked at Emi.

"NO!" Emi's eyes widened in fear.

"Giant Rat, Gnaw attack!" Chao ordered. The large rat monster flew across the field and chopped down on Emi's arm. The hologram disappeared as soon as it made contact.

Chao-1200 LP  
Emi-0 LP

Emi fell to her knees in defeat. Looking up she saw a hand extended to her. "c...c...Chao!" She stammered out as she took his hand and he pulled her up.

"Hey, good game. You tried your best." Chao smiled. "And as promised I will take you out on another date."

"You really don't hate me?" Emi asked in disbelief.

"I really did lose your number Emi." Chao rubbed the back of his head. "I wasn't lying about that."

"I see, so tonight then?" Emi asked excitedly, jumping up and down in joy.

"Er..." Chao's face paled and he looked over to Kiro and Kaira. "There might be a problem with that."

"Like what?" Emi asked looking over at the two still sitting at the table.

"Remember that massive city wide fire?" Kaira asked getting up, Kiro doing the same after her. Getting a speechless nod from Emi, Kaira looked over at Kiro to explain.

"You see, thanks to me, the next nine nights might be just as much of a living hell." Kiro couldn't keep eye contact with Emi who was now in complete shock.

"You set the city on fire!" She almost yelled out.

"No, no." Kiro stepped back waving his hands at her. "It is hard to explain but it was done because of me. And thanks to me, all the fire stopped." He said standing up straight. "You two may have to hold off your date till a later date. Maybe in ten days."

"O...k..." Emi looked back and forth between the three of them.

"But would you care to join us now?" Chao asked motioning to the table the were sitting at.

"But we are leavi..." Kiro started to say before Kaira smacked him in the arm.

"No were not." She said to him and pointed for him to sit down.

"What? You want to order me around bitch?" Kiro started to growl at Kaira but noticed the massive amounts of stares he was getting from the surrounding crowd. Growling, he sat back down at the table. Kaira smiled at him as she, Chao, and Emi sat down at the table.

* * *

A burst of lime green fire erupted in the center of an abandoned warehouse. The flames slowly started to turn tar black before fading away leaving a robed figured, Salacia. Looking around the empty warehouse, her lips curled in a smile. All around the room black clouds began to form. The began to swirl around Salacia in a tornado fashion. 

"Kiro Rinku, it is my turn to challenge you."

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To John: May I ask as to what new set you are talking about. And by the way, it is very possible to no have one on hand, what if they were all at the bottom of the deck?

To Gate Guardian32: I believe "Kiro" is who you are talking about when you say Cheero. Yea, I guess you will have to wait and see who the center figure is. Trust me, no one will guess who it is before I pull off his robe.

To Demon Fan: Cool idea but it makes me think of a snake when you say Choa. Don't know why but it does.

To LucienShadowMaster: Hehe, sorry but Chao won. No tie. You know he actually has no problem with taking Emi out on a date. Oh, and your characters can be here if they want but this is a much more dangerous place to be. Heruru laughing with an evil laugh and a smirk on his face as he cracks his knuckles  
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	15. The Black City of Truth

Chapter 15: The Black City of Truth

Every person out on the sidewalk or in a vehicle looked off towards the moon. Even though it was turning to evening, it looked like the sun was rising again. The moon was a bright yellow color, shining with its own yellow light. It rose slowly in the sky casting its sun like light across the town.

Kiro, Chao, Kaira were sitting on a park bench watching the yellow moon rise. After they sat and visited with Emi all day the three of them were going to continue to Kiro's temple but it was so late by then it was pointless to go up the hill to just come back down.

"Woah! Look at that." Kaira said pointing to straight ahead of her. Even though it was a bright glow of the moon, a black fog was slowly moving across the ground. The fog was starting to thicken the more they watched it. Soon it was growing impossible to see through its blackness.

"What in the hell is that thing!" Chao yelled flying off the park bench and falling to the ground. Flipping over to his back he began to crawl slowly backwards. Kiro and Kaira jumped up too when they saw the monster standing at the end of the bench.

It was a hideous zombie monster. Its pale white and yellow flesh was rotting and falling off in some areas, small bugs buzzing around its body. Covering parts of it were a torn up and shredded black cloak. Lifting up its right hand it revealed a large axe, the blade of which was twice the size of the zombies head. Letting out an unhumany moan the monster stepped forward and swung the axe down.

Kiro, quickly letting Heruru take over, tackled Chao and Kaira out of the axe's path. The axe cut deep in the ground leaving a deep gash in the earth.

Lunging forward, Heruru punched the monsters head clean off its body. The head bounced on the ground then rolled to a stop at some things foot. Looking up, Heruru, Kaira, and Chao saw a whole army of these dead zombies walking out of the pitch black fog. None of them had any weapons of any sort on them like this one did. Slowly they all began to march towards the group of three.

"RUN!" Kaira yelled turning and racing off, Chao and Heruru right on her heals.

Rounding a corner, the three of them found themselves in pitch blackness. Above them, seeming like miles away, the light from the moon could be seen. Coming to a complete stop, the group huddled together.

"What now?" Chao asked looking around for any sign of the monsters.

"How should I know!" Heruru snapped at him. "See, this is why Kiro needed to do this alone!"

"Not now, Run!" Kaira screamed bursting through the two boys as a zombie came into sight from where she was standing. Eyes wide, Heruru took off running after Kaira. Chao tried to do the same but was grabbed on the shoulder by the zombie. Heruru stopped dead in his run as he heard Chao's scream.

"HUMAN!" He yelled running back towards him. Sliding suddenly to a stop when it sounded like Chao's voice came from a different way. It sounded like it came from a distance from behind him, but how could that be? Then Kiro's heart sunk in his mental room. Kaira's scream rang out through the night air.

_("NO!")_ He yelled, running forward just to get blocked by Hebanu and Kooru.

_("Don't go Kiro.")_ Hebanu pleaded with him.

_("He is right Kiro")_ Kooru said pushing Kiro to the 'floor' of the mental room. _("Heruru has a better chance of finding them then you do.")_

_"Right."_ Heruru mentally reassured Kiro before he took off at a dead run. He was heading towards Kaira screams which seemed to have jumped farther back, back to where Chao's screams were coming from.

Turning around corners and avoiding streetlight, mailboxes, and other objects that appeared in his way, Heruru finally came to a dead stop. Looking around he could see only cold inky darkness. His visual was three feet at the max, even with his superhuman eyes. This black fog covered everything in a never ending darkness.

"Dammit." Heruru growled hearing the footsteps and moans of those zombie monster closing in on him from all sides. He couldn't see any of them...yet, but he knew they were there. Taking a deep breath, Heruru charged forward. Just as he thought, a line of zombies were in his way. Using the speed and strength he had, Heruru knocked over the ones that stood in his way and kept running.

* * *

Kaira opened her eyes slowly as she gained consciousness. The first thing she saw was Chao rubbing his head just in front of her. Watching Chao she realized that her head was also throbbing with pain. 

"So you two lived through the transport." A female voice echoed across the room. Looking up, Kaira noticed that they were in an empty warehouse. Walking towards them was a figure in a black cloak.

"Who are you?" Kaira asked as the figure got closer. "Are you another one of the testers that Kiro must face?"

"Yes, I would be the second of the ten testers. The tester of the sun yellow moon. Just as Andron was the tester of the frozen blue moon. I am Salacia." The figure identified herself as she stopped not but five feet from the two of them. "Most peoples minds cannot take the transport through the black fog and they simply die. I see the two of you made it through just fine."

"Wouldn't say fine." Chao said standing up. "I have a roaring headache."

"Yea, hey wait!" Kaira said standing up. "Why isn't there any of that fog in here?"

"I control the fog, it will be in here soon enough but not quite yet." Salacia said turning and looking out the window which was covered with the thick black fog.

* * *

Taking it two rungs at a time, Heruru bounded his way up a later to the top of an apartment building. Up here, the fog wasn't as thick as the rays of the sun like moon cut through the darkness.

Falling to his knees, Heruru fell to all fours panting for air. _"Damn you body Kiro, being so weak."_

_("WHAT!")_ Kiro yelled at Heruru. _("I'll bet you couldn't have run that far without taking a break even in your old body.") _

_("To be honest Kiro,") Hebanu said putting a mental hand on Kiro's mental shoulder. ("We could") _

_("By your humanly comparisons, we weren't human.")_ Kooru simply said from his meditative position.

_("So you weren't human?")_ Kiro questioned looking around at them.

_"Well..."_ Heruru said hesitantly as he stood up. Kooru and Hebanu looked back and forth between each other with a terrified look on their faces.

_("You weren't, were you?")_ Kiro said looking around. Getting silence from the other three and lack of eye contact by them, Kiro became furious. _("Then what the hell are you?")_

_("Spirits right now.")_ Kooru smirked as a response. Kiro stomped over to the mental form of Kooru and towered over the man.

_("I mean before, when you were alive.")_ Kooru stood up and looked into Kiro's eyes. _("And you are not good at humor you jackass.") _

_"Dammit Kiro we don't have time to be playing stupid games with you."_ Heruru growled to the owner of the body.

_("Then tell me now!") _Kiro growled back.

_"Fine, we weren't human, we were super hell beasts, demons, whatever you want to call us."_ Heruru growled in response. In the mental room, Hebanu and Kooru slapped their forheads. _"Now shut up and let me concentrate." _

_("Demons? Hell Beasts?")_

_"SHUT UP!"_ Heruru yelled knocking the three mental forms to the mental floor with a shock wave of energy. Closing his eyes, Heruru focused all of his energy in finding the source of it all. Snapping his eyes open he looked off to his right. There in the middle of town a warehouse seemed to call him to it.

_("Look, the fog appears to be coming from there.")_ Hebanu said pointing the warehouse. Unlike the rest of the city, the fog did seem to swirl around that building and jet out of it.

"Alright." Heruru smirked, as he started to head towards the edge of the roof he was on. Taking a running jump, he managed to clear the dark foggy gap between the roof he was on and a neighboring roof.

_("Demons? Hell Beasts?")_

_"(SHUT UP KIRO!)"_ The three spirits yelled at him all at once, again knocking his mental being down.

_("Kiro, you just need to worry about this up and coming duel.")_ Hebanu said helping the teen up.

_("I am not so sure I want to release you into this world. Not if you are...")_ Kiro was suddenly interrupted.

_"It's your duty to."_ Heruru said as he was hopping off that roof onto the next one.

_("And tell me exactly what would you do if I did release you?")_ Kiro asked taking a more confident pose. Placing his hand under his chin he rubbed it in thought. _("I have never really been clear on that. Would you kill people? Cause mayhem and destruction?") _

_("Kiro,")_ Kooru said walking up to the boy and placing his hand on the boy's shoulder._ ("We may be needed hence the treasure would come in contact with anyone else. No one can ever get there hands on it if but us...end of story.")_ Kooru said taking his hand off his shoulder and walking back to the place where he sat down and started meditating again.

Kiro just sighed and looked at his right hand, at the leather glove that covered it. The three orbs of black, gray, and light blue were shining of their own said color.

For as long as Kiro could remember he wore this glove. Never allowed to take it off for the spirits sake. They lived on his life force so if it wasn't in the presence of the human, the spirits would eventually die. He was able to pull it down a bit to wash under it but he had never taken it off.

It had been given to him by his father just as it was given to him by Kiro's grandfather. After a certain age, Kiro's dad was able to find a wife who loved him and gave birth to Kiro. Once Kiro came of age to learn the scriptures, Kiro's dad passed him the leather glove and went off to live with his wife. Kiro has never seen him sense, he lived at the temple with his grandfather. He was only permitted to go into town to learn about the society so that if he was the one to release the spirits he wouldn't be helpless in this world and neither would the spirits. They were also learning about this time incase they were released into it.

Kiro had been happy just the night before. The trials had started and Andron had appeared to test him. He passed the test with flying colors. But now that the next tester appeared he learned something about the spirts that made him uneasy. What if they were evil, what would they do when they were released. It would only make sense if they wouldn't discuss their pasts! What evil things did they do in the past?

But all his life he wanted these spirits to leave! He never enjoyed sharing his body with them. Whether they were evil or not, he still didn't want them in his body. But he didn't know what to do now. He figured he would keep an eye on them for now and battled out these trials as hard as he could. For he couldn't escape these. He also knew that either he or the tester must die after each trial. He just wondered if he was willing enough to sacrifice himself to save the world. He had no more sense of good and evil.

Heruru climbed slowly down another latter on the last tall building he could get to. Memorizing the direction he needed to travel he descended into the blackness of the fog. As he climbed deeper into the darkness, he found it harder and harder to tell how far down he was. He kept feeling with his foot for the next rung or the ground. His visual was even less now then it was when he started. He couldn't even see the light of the yellow moon as he went down.

Finally he felt the ground and placed both feet on it. Turning, he took off at a dead run in the direction of the warehouse. Keeping his his left hand outstretched incase of running into something big. Luckily, all the moans and screams were behind him now so no zombies or people were in this direction.

Slowly he came to a stop as he felt the cold walls of the warehouse. Sliding along side of it he found the door. Reaching down her found the cold door knob. Twisting it he pushed the door open and walked into the large empty warehouse. At the far end stood a robed figure with its arms crossed. In the center of the warehouse, Kaira and Chao were talking.

"Kiro!" Kaira yelled waving at him. Heruru snarled a bit.

_"Ok Kiro, your turn."_ He said surrendering the body back to the boy. His dark green hair replacing Heruru's solid black hair and his brownish red eyes appearing in the blackness of Heruru's eyes.

"Kiro Rinku?" Salacia asked to Kiro as he walked farther into the room.

"Yep." He said turning to Salacia. "You be the next tester?"

"Yes I would be." Salacia said grabbing her cloak and ripping it off. Underneath was an average size woman. Her long teal hair flowing down to her shoulders. She wore a white shirt with three dark green strips running down it vertically. She opened her eyes to show they were light purple in color and very human looking. Unlike Andron's which seemed much colder but just like Andron, two long triangles were drawn under her eyes. They glowed with the aura of the yellow moon. "I am Salacia, tester of the sun yellow moon!"

"Then are we ready?" Kiro asked walking to the other end of the warehouse. "Time to duel!" He said holding out his left arm with the white arm gadget on it that Andron had given him. Out of the side of it the field of light appeared in a blue and white flash of light.

"Not yet." Salacia said pointing to Kiro's feet. Hesitantly, Kiro looked down to see that the thick black fog had encircled his feet. He tried to pull them up but the thick fog held them in place. "It is so you don't try to run away. Now look above us." Salacia said pointing up. Kiro's head shifted upwards to see a large crate being supported by a net of the black fog.

"What the...?" Kiro asked looking over at Salacia.

"When one of our life points hit zero, the net will cut and the crate will fall on that player." Salacia said holding up her left arm. Around it the fog started to gather. It formed into a duel disk shape with a strange black gem in the middle where the life points tallied up to 5000. "Now we are ready."

Kiro grimaced looking at the large crates above their heads. Slowly shuffling his deck he slipped it into the slot for his deck.

"Duel!"

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And on to the second trial duel.

To John: You talking newest booster pack?

To Demon Fan: No no, you called him Choa, makes me think of that snake a Boa. Never mind. And don't worry, you will be seeing some Skull Servant Action soon.  
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	16. Salacia's Deck of the Darkness

Chapter 16: Salacia's Deck of the Darkness

Katana, Muchi and Izumi all set in their lab huddled around a burning fire in a fireplace. The black fog had found its way into the laboratory but luckily, all the zombie monsters stayed away from the fire.

"So the second of ten tests?" Izumi asked Katana who was sitting curled up into a ball. Izumi's comment startled her as she was deep in thought.

"Huh?...oh yea." She said nodding to her.

"Sorry, didn't mean to disturb you." Izumi said in a sad voice.

"Don't be." Katana said smiling. "I was just thinking about what we learned that day. You know, about them."

_/Flashback/ _

/"Miss Katana, we have found something you should look at." She directed to a spot on the wall where Muchi was looking.

"What do we have here?" Katana asked walking up and taking a look at the pictures and words.

"Maybe something about the three spirits." Muchi replied stepping aside for Katana.

"Let see," Katana started to read the words on the wall. "Searching for the richest prize in the world, a large gem the size of a large hut. The riches would pour if they could get this gemstone. Searching all their lives they never found this stone but vowed to never give up even if it took two life times." She continued to read on the wall but she had to crouch down. "This stone was guarded by a set of guards that were very formidable and stopped these huntsman to get the stone."

"And this over here Katana." Izumi said pointing to a small slab sticking out of the wall. "It says that this stone was so great of a mystery that it may not even exist in this world."

"Well that clears nothing up." Katana said standing up straight. "That could mean about anything. Maybe the three of them were searching for this great gemstone." She then looked at her two assistants concerned. "What if they are bad spirits? What if they were thieves and murderers?"/

/End Flashback/

"If they were searching that hard for that gemstone, they must have been thieves." Katana looked at the other two who just nodded. "And this is the second of ten."

* * *

"DUEL!" Both of them yelled as their duel disks lit up with life points.

Kiro-5000 LP  
Salacia-5000 LP

Salacia drew her sixth card and placed it on her darkness duel disk. "I will start with this, my Skull Servant (300/200) in defense mode." A skeleton monster appeared crouching over the horizontal card as it appeared. It was wearing a purple robe and it was cackling with evil.

"That thing?" Kiro said cocking an eyebrow.

_("What is wrong Kiro?")_ Kooru asked from inside his head.

_"Skull Servant is one of the weakest monsters in this game. Why she played it is beyond me." _

"End turn." Salacia said in a monotone voice.

"Ok then." Kiro said snapping a card off his deck. "I summon Gravekeeper's Curse (800/800) in attack mode!" A man in Egyptian cloths appeared swinging his staff around as Kiro placed the card on the field of light. Smiling he held it out towards Salacia. "When he is summoned I deal you 500 points of damage." Kiro announced as streams of purple smoke blasted out of the staff and gathering around Salacia.

Kiro-5000 LP  
Salacia-4500 LP

"Cheap tactics won't work here Kiro Rinku." Salacia said looking at her life point counter.

"Right, Gravekeeper's Curse, attack her Skull Servant with Cursed Rod!" Kiro yelled pointing to the skull monster. Flying across the field, the Egyptian man clubbed the skeleton monster over the head with the staff. Moaning in pain the monster faded away. "I will set one card and end my turn." Kiro said sliding the card into his the light field of his duel disk. The brown card appeared behind the monster glowing in a light green aura.

"Draw!" Salacia yelled across the warehouse as she snapped a new card off her deck. "I activate Graceful Charity. I can draw three cards if I discard two." She placed the card into the duel disk and started to draw three cards. Looking at what she drew, her lips curled into a smile. "I will discard these. Two more Skull Servants."

_"What?"_

"Now the stage is set. Watch this Kiro Rinku, I will play a monster known as King of Skull Servants (/0) in attack mode!" She proudly slapped down a new card onto the darkness field of her duel disk. On the field a larger zombie skeleton appeared right were the first one was before. It looked exactly the same except it was three times its size. "King of Skull Servants gains 1000 attack points for each Skull Servant and King of Skull Servants in my graveyard, that is three (3000/0)."

"What!" Kiro's eyes widened at the powerful monster Salacia just brought to the field. _"So that was her plan from the start. She wanted to get that thing out."_

"Ready?" Salacia asked pointing to the monster Kiro had standing between him and Salacia. "Attack that monster now with Rage of Darkness!" The skull monster raised its hands ups as a blast of black aura shot through its body. In an instant, Gravekeeper's Curse was swallowed up by this same aura that had just flown through the Skull Servant King.

Kiro-2800 LP  
Salacia-4500 LP

"Sloppy playing Kiro." Chao yelled from the sidelines as Kiro recovered from the attack.

"Yea, keep up your guard Kiro." Kaira yelled along side Chao.

"Alright, alright. Stop telling me what to do." Kiro yelled looking over at them.

"Your move Kiro." Salacia said brining his attention back to her.

"Right, draw!" Kiro snapped a card off his deck but looked rather disappointed with it. "Alright, I set a defense monster and end my turn." Kiro said placing the card horizontally on his duel disk. The rendering of that card appeared on the field before him.

"What about being on the defensive is being weak?" Chao called again from the sidelines in a mocking voice.

"Alright, if you two don't leave him alone I will transport you far, far away from here." Salacia said pulling a new card off her deck. "Now I play this doggie, Pitch-Black Warwolf (1600/600) in attack mode." Next to the large skeleton monster a huge black wolf appeared standing on two legs. Silver armor adorned its for limbs and legs as well as a long sword with a red tip at the end in its right hand. "As long as he is on the field, you can't activate traps during the battle phase. Attack his defense my monster, Wolf Sword Slasher!"

Howling, the large wolf monster took off at a dead run towards Kiro's field. Jumping high off the ground, the monster landed cutting the down card in half.

"You hit my monster, Gravekeeper's Spy (1200/2000) and with its ability I will summon my Gravekeeper's Cannonholder (1400/1200) in face up defense mode." An Egyptian man kneeling down holding a large wooden cannon appeared next to the Gravekeeper's spy who was clad in black and crouching down into a ball.

Kiro-2800 LP  
Salacia-4100 LP

"Good move, King of Skull Servants will attack your Spy. Go with Rage of Darkness!" Once again the black aura flowed through the moaning skeleton and a second later that same aura blasted through the kneeling spy on Kiro's field breaking it apart into data bits. "I will set two cards on my field and end my turn." Salacia said sliding the two cards into her duel disk. They appeared on her field right in front of her.

"Alright then, my move!" Kiro announced drawing his card. Scanning his hand over he looked up at the cannon baring monster on his field and the wolf and skeleton monster on hers. _"I need a plan to handle that 3000 point monster but thanks to her wolf I can't activate traps in the battle phase."_ Kiro grimaced as he pulled a card out of his hand. "I set one card face down and summon Gravekeeper's Vassal (700/500) in face up defense mode." A brown card appeared on Kiro's field followed by a crouching Egyptian man wearing a brown robe and a green cloth. "And reveal trap Rite of Spirit. I will bring back Gravekeeper's Spy (1200/2000) in defense mode."

"That's all?" Salacia asked as Kiro's third monster appeared on the field.

"Yea, your move." Kiro grimaced as Salacia pulled her next card off her deck.

"Alright, Pitch-Black Warwolf, attack his Vassal! Wolf Sword Slasher!" Howling again, the wolf monster charged across the field and running the monster through with its sword. Screaming in pain, the vassal grabbed the sword as it pierced its body. Finally going limp, it exploded into little particles. "King of Skull Servant, Show Gravekeeper's Spy the Rage of Darkness!" Flowing with the black aura, again the Spy monster was destroyed in the wave of darkness. "Looks like that is all I will do this turn." Salacia said flipping her teal hair out of her face.

Kiro pulled the next card off his deck and took a deep breath. _"I need one card."_ Slowly he flipped the card over and smiled at its face. "Alright Salacia, I summon my Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier (1500/1000) in attack mode!" As Kiro slapped the card down on his duel disk the Egyptian man appeared on the field holding out it long decorated spear. Snarling at the wolf and the skeleton standing in front of him. "And next the magic card Gravekeeper's Muscle Burst! This will double the attack of my Spear Soldier for this turn (3000/1000)!" The spear wielding monster started to roar with power as a white aura flew over its body. From underneath its black clothing it was apparent that the monsters Muscles' were bulging out.

"And the point of that was?" Salacia asked noticing the attack was the same as her strongest monster.

"This," Kiro said pointing to the wolf monster. "Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier attack Pitch-Black Warwolf with Spear Stab!" Kiro ordered watching his monster charge across the field and stab the spear through the head of black wolf monster. Howling, the monster was destroyed.

Kiro-2800 LP  
Salacia-2700 LP

"Now I end my turn." Kiro said as his spear wielding monster returned to normal body size and lost the white aura (1500/1000).

"Really? I thought you would be more of a challenge." Salacia said sliding the card she drew into her duel disk. "I play the magic card Mystic Wok. This will increase my life points by the attack of my Skull Servant King (3000/0)." The holographic card appeared behind the moaning zombie. Both of them started to glow in a flame yellow aura before fading away.

Kiro-2800 LP  
Salacia-5700 LP

_"That hurts my chances of getting her down to zero." _Kiro growled at the new life point score.

"Now I summon a new King of Skull Servant (/0)!" Salacia said setting a card from her hand onto her duel disk. A monster identical to the previous one appeared on the field. I cackled in a ghostly voice as its power increased (4000/0). "Now that I have a King of Skull Servant in my graveyard I get 1000 more attack power. Rage of Darkness attack, destroy his Spear Soldier and a chunk oh his life points!" Salacia yelled as the zombie monster raised its arms like the previous one would and started glowing in a black aura.

"Activate trap card!" Kiro yelled pointing to his set card as it started to flip up. "This trap is called Windstorm of Etaqua. Its magical ability is to switch the mode of all monsters on your side of the field to there opposite battle position." The trap with a black crow like monster started to glow in a lime green light. Likewise, the skeleton monster roared as it crouched down to the floor and curled its arms around itself in a defensive stance.

"For once, a good play on your part." Salacia said pulling another card out of her hand. "I'll set this face down and let you make your move." In a ripple of light, the brown backed card appeared next to the two she already had set on the field.

"Gee, how kind of you." Kiro said sarcastically snapping a card off his deck. _"I do need to be careful. Three set cards on the field is a bit dangerous odds to be up against. But now, the King of Skull Servants is at its weakest point. Ok, I have to go for it."_ Kiro reached down to his duel disk and moved his Gravekeeper Cannonholder. "I switch my Cannonholder to attack mode and call an attack of my Spear Soldier against your Skull Servant King! Spear Stab!"

Twirling the spear around in its fingers, the spear wielding monster moved slowly towards the crouching monster. Tossing the spear high up into the air the monster grabbed it in mid fall and ran it through the rib cage of the monster. Pulling back quickly, the spear was pulled out and the monster collapses in a heap of bones on the field. It slowly faded away.

Kiro-2800 LP  
Salacia-4200 LP

"My Spear Soldier can deal the difference in his attack and your defense to your life points." Kiro said as Salacia looked at her life point meter.

"Oh well, activate my trap Michizure. This trap will destroy your Spear Soldier thanks to the fact that you destroyed a monster on my field." As the trap flipped up the spear holding monster screamed and faded away along with the said trap. "Lets see, my King of Skull Servants has a special ability. Watch this." Salacia's graveyard pile was spit out of her graveyard slot. "I can remove a Skull Servant or King of Skull Servant from my grave to revive the King of Skull Servant in attack mode (3000/0)"

"NO!" Kiro yelled as the monster he just destroyed once again materialized in front of him. Growling he looked down at his hand. _"No trap cards to save me. That was a sloppy move and it will cost me."_ Kiro mumbled to himself as he pulled on of the three cards in his hand out and slid it into his duel disk.

_("Just don't lose this and we will be happy.")_ Hebanu quietly said in a mental encouragement.

_"Right."_ Kiro said back as if he really didn't care what he had to say. "I activate Dian Keto the Cure Master to give me an extra 1000 life points." Kiro announced as he was showered in little white lights.

Kiro-3800 LP  
Salacia-4200 LP

"Turn end." Kiro mumbled.

* * *

"I sense that Kiro is struggling badly in this duel with Salacia." Iah announced to the group.

"Just as I feared." Gallus responded to the comment Iah made. "He is too weak."

"It seems that unlike this duel between him and Andron, he isn't fully focused on this match." Iah said back to Gallus. "I think he has enough power, but he isn't concentrating on what moves he is making."

"Hmm." The figure in the center of the ring of people and orbs of fire looked at the pillar where Salacia used to be standing. Her lime green fire burning brightly still. He sighed at it. "He almost has to win. We may need the three of them again."

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To Gate Guardian32: Hey, you've made some connections.

To Demon Fan: I know, I was just teasing you.

To John: Hmm, maybe.

To LucienShadowMaster: Hmm, no matter where you run I'll bet these demons can find you.  
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	17. The Key of Necrovalley

Chapter 17: The Key of Necrovalley

"Do you see Kiro?" Salacia asked as she twisted her body drawing her new card. "You cannot win easily against me. I will tear you apart if you think you can breeze through this."

"Are you going to shut up and play?" Kiro asked, rather irritated with her assumption that he wasn't trying.

"I guess I am." She said sliding the card into her hand. Pointing to the cannon holding monster on Kiro's field, the King of Skull Servants moaned in an otherworldly voice. A black aura covered its body as this same aura began to flow around the cannon holder's body. Gritting its teeth, it fought back the urge to scream in pain as he blow apart. "Do you see the rage of darkness? Your Gravekeeper's Cannonholder sure did." Salacia said pleased with her move.

Kiro-2200 LP  
Salacia-4200 LP

"Other than that I want to show you your mistake for such a sloppy move." Salacia pointed to one of her two set cards behind her Skull Servant King. As it flipped up it glowed with a rainbowed aura. "This magic card is called Impact Revive. I will use the magic of this card to bring back the monster that was destroyed this turn and it gains an additional 500 attack power. So you will get your Gravekeeper's Cannonholder back."

"Why revive my monster?" Kiro asked as in a burst of light his monster materialized on the field before him (1900/1200).

"Because I get a second battle phase by doing so. So go again King of Skull Servant! Attack again with Rage of Darkness! Wipe out that monster and more of his life!" Once again both of the monsters were engulfed with the black aura and crushing the cannon holding monster. This time though its screams of pain echoed throughout the warehouse.

Kiro-1100 LP  
Salacia-4200 LP

"I call my turn to an end now." Salacia said to Kiro who was staring daggers at Salacia.

"Fine." He grumbled out looking down at his deck. _"That damn Skull Servant King has been walking all over me this whole duel. I need to find a way to destroy it. But how? I destroyed it once and it came right back! Wait!" _

_/Flashback/_

_/"Now I summon a new King of Skull Servant (/0)!" Salacia said setting a card from her hand onto her duel disk. A monster identical to the previous one appeared on the field. I cackled in a ghostly voice as its power increased (4000/0). "Now that I have a King of Skull Servant in my graveyard I get 1000 more attack power. Rage of Darkness attack, destroy his Spear Soldier and a chunk oh his life points!" Salacia yelled as the zombie monster raised its arms like the previous one would and started glowing in a black aura._

_"Activate trap card!" Kiro yelled pointing to his set card as it started to flip up. "This trap is called Windstorm of Etaqua. Its magical ability is to switch the mode of all monsters on your side of the field to their opposite battle position." The trap with a black crow like monster started to glow in a lime green light. Likewise, the skeleton monster roared as it crouched down to the floor and curled its arms around itself in a defensive stance./_

_/End Flashback/_

_"The problem with King of Skull Servants is it has a zero defense, no matter how many attack points it gains. I have a monster in my deck that can switch the modes of monster but I need it and another cards to activate it."_ Kiro took a deep breath and snapped the card off his deck and flipped it over. "I summon my Gravekeeper's Assailant (1500/1500) in attack mode!" The monster completely clad in black appeared swinging its wavy dagger around its body.

"Nice monster..." Salacia said looking at the attack power of this new beast.

"I set one card face down and activate Card of Demise! I draw until I am holding five cards in my hand then in five turns I must discard my entire hand to the graveyard." Kiro smirked as he snapped cards off his deck till he was holding five. "And you know I am getting tiered of you Skull Servant King so I activate my magic card Necrovalley!" Placing the card next to the edge of the light field it sucked it in and began to flow with a multitude of color. Around the entire warehouse the large stone walls of the valley appeared

"Oh no, my King of Skull Servants won't be able to revive if he is destroyed again!" Salacia said, eyes wide at the large stone walls surrounding them now.

"It gives my Gravekeeper's Assailant 500 more attack and defense power (2000/2000) and the ability to switch the mode of monsters. So attack her Skull Servant King!" Kiro yelled pointing to the large skeleton monster. A bright yellow aura flowed through the wavy dagger as the monster charged towards the skeleton. Slowly the King of Skull Servants began to crouch down just as the wavy dagger cut it in half.

"So you took down my King of Skull Servants. Not an easy task to do but I assure you that you won't be taking the lead in this duel thanks to that." Salacia said sliding the card into her graveyard.

"We will see." Kiro said.

"Yes we will see now! Activate trap card Illusion of Stars! When a monster on my side of the field is destroyed and sent to the grave yard I can activate this. I draw one card for each star of the monster that destroyed it. At that same time I lose that many life points times 100. You have four stars, I gain four cards and lose 400 life points." Salacia flicked four cards off the top of her deck, each time a beeping indicating a life point loss.

Kiro-1100 LP  
Salacia-3800 LP

"Now it's my turn." Salacia announced snapping another card off her deck and flipping it over. "I will now summon a creature of ultimate darkness. A creature that once summoned will destroy the remainder of your life points. I activate the magic card Black Illusion Ritual!" Salacia snapped the card out of her hand and flipped it around. On the field before her a yellow cup with the Eye of Ra on it and two silver cups burning with fire appeared. "It requires that I sacrifice a monster that is of level one or more. This should do, Man Eating Treasure Chest (1600/1000) has four stars. Four times as many as I need."

A demonic treasure chest looking monster appeared on her field between the two cups and behind the yellow ritual cup. It started to fade away and turn its body into bright red energy that shot down into the yellow cup. Followed by the fire from the cups, the yellow jug started to mutate. It started to growl larger and changed into a greenish blue freakish monster. Opening two hatches that fell down in front of it, revealing a body with a strange suction cup thing in its stomach and a long neck with a singe eye on it. It sat hovering slightly above the ground (0/0).

"You sure went through a lot of chatting to bring out something that has zero attack power." Kiro mocked as she placed the blue bordered card on her duel disk's darkness field.

"You would think so but watch this!" She yelled pointing to the beast. The suction cup on its body began to suck in a burst of wind. Bracing itself, the Gravekeeper's Assailant tried to avoid get sucked in but the wind was too strong and it was sucked in and disappeared into the beast (1500/1500).

"What did you do to my monster!" Kiro yelled to Salacia who was smiling wide with pleasure.

"Relinquished absorbed it. All attack and defense points of if." She pointed to Kiro. "And I use its Absorption Force to blast the rest of you life points away! Attack now!" A tear streamed down Salacia's face. "Finish off Earth's last hope." Relinquished began to form a large energy ball of pale white and brown light between its large claws. Red lighting shot all around it.

"Don't cry for me yet." Kiro said as his face down card flipped up. "Trap card go! Necro Tomb Coffin!"

"What...what...what?" Salacia asked as the monster released the ball of energy.

"This trap can only be activated when you attack and I have no monsters on my field. But its effect is powered up when Necrovalley is present. You see, I get to summon two monsters from my graveyard that have at least 600 less attack points than the monster you are attacking me with. I will summon these." Kiro pulled two cards out of his graveyard slot and flipped them around. "Gravekeeper's Vassal (700/500)(1200/1000) and Gravekeeper's Curse (800/800)(1300/1300) both come in attack mode." The two said monsters appeared on the field again both taking an offensive stance. "Oh, and Gravekeeper's Curse was summoned so you lose 500 more life points." Once again, the monster shot a stream of dark green toxic fog at Salacia who choked on it.

Kiro-1100 LP  
Salacia-3300 LP

"Now you get to chose which one to attack." Kiro said pointing to the two monsters standing before him.

"I will attack Gravekeeper's Vassal!" Salacia yelled as the energy ball finally hit the monster blowing it to pieces.

"Now I will tell you the rest, first since Necrovalley was on my field I lose no life points from the monsters defeat. Next the Necro Tomb Coffin will equip to my remaining monster. This will keep it from being destroyed in battle for as long as it is equipped with this card. Oh and the base attack of the monster you just attack is subtracted from your monster." Kiro smirked as the large ritual monster began to roar in pain. Lighting shot over its skin and it began to flail in agony (800/1500).

"Wow!" Kaira and Chao called from the side lines.

"Good going Kiro." Chao said flashing the thumbs up to him.

"Yes, it was an impressive move." Salacia said sliding one more card into her duel disk. "I set one card and end my turn."

"Second turn of Card of Demise." Kiro announced as he drew a card. Smiling he flipped it over to show Salacia. "I summon Gravekeeper Kiro (1800/1100)!" A monster with no shirt appeared on the field. His pants were made of the same black cloth material as the other Gravekeeper's. He was much more buff than the actual Kiro but his face was exactly the same. "Normally he would let me pull Necrovalley from anywhere but it is already on my field so he will gain the boost from it (2300/1600)."

"Ok hold on Kiro." Salacia held up her hand. "Let me give it to you strait. If you attack my Relinquished then you will take as much damage from the attack as I would and only the equipped monster, you Gravekeeper's Assailant, would be destroyed. Your monster has 2300 attack while mine right now has 800. We would both lose 1500 life points."

"Oh, I see." Kiro growled at this fact. He was hopping to do major damage to her this turn. But then, like a brick wall, a new plan hit him. "Gravekeeper's Curse! Curse Relinquished!" He yelled pointing to the large blue monster. Flipping its staff around it shot more of that dark green smoke out blasting off Relinquished. "Now we both lose only 500 life points."

Kiro-600 LP  
Salacia-2800 LP

"But more importantly, you lose the equipped monster and all of its attack power (0/0). Now Gravekeeper Kiro attack Relinquished!" Kiro yelled as his Gravekeeper counterpart charged forward to punch the large monster.

"Quick-play magic go, Blackness Spire! This trap only works when your strongest monster on your field attacks. It switches your weakest monster to defense mode and forces you to attack it!" In an unexplainable force, the Gravekeeper's Curse fell to one knee and braced the staff on the ground. Changing direction suddenly, Gravekeeper Kiro punched his ally knocking him to the ground.

"Thanks to Necro Tomb Coffin he cannot be destroyed." Kiro said as he felt the shock wave of the attack shot through his body. Grabbing his sides he managed to pull away back to a stronger stance. "I set this face down and end my turn." Kiro gasped for air reeling from that last attack. He seemed to have a stronger connection to things his Gravekeeper counterpart did than any other Gravekeeper monster. Rippling light appeared on Kiro's field and then the brown backed card.

"Here I go then." Salacia said sliding a newly drawn card into her hand. "I first equip your Gravekeeper's Curse to my Relinquished, this destroyers your trap card and gives me attack power (800/800)." The said monster was sucked up inside the bluish green monster who moaned with its gained power. "Next I activate my magic card Fusion Sage! This card lets me add a Polymerization from my deck to my hand." After sliding the card into her duel disk she pulled her deck out and began searching through it. Finding the card she wanted she slid it into her hand. "Here we go, Polymerization! I fuse Relinquished and from my hand, Thousand-Eyes Idol!"

A strange green monster with a blue cape appeared on the field next to the blue floating monster. The little monster had purple boots and gloves on its short stubby legs and arms. All over its body, a thousand eyes opened up looking at Kiro. Behind it and the Relinquished monster the Polymerization card appeared. The monsters began to swirl together forming a new monster. As it reversed its spin, a large purple Relinquished stood in their places. It looked identical in body shape but now it had eye balls across every inch of its skin. Two large green eyes rested on the monsters chest and out of the long neck the golden ball for the eye.

"Thousand-Eyes Restrict (0/0)!" Calling out its name, Salacia jerked her hand skyward. A blast of energy waves shot off her, roaring across the entire warehouse. "I carries with it all the abilities of Relinquished, So I absorb Gravekeeper Kiro!" Fighting the suction the whole way, Gravekeeper Kiro eventually vanished into the gut of the purple behemoth (1800/1100). "Ready? Thousand-Eyes Restrict, attac...What?"

Salacia was knocked backwards and fell over in a large gust of win. Her arms were up in front of her face to stop oncoming objects and dust kicked up in this windstorm. Looking, she saw the source of the wind was a magic card on Kiro's field.

"I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to counter the equipment of my monster to yours." Kiro smirked as his card faded away leaving the monster powerless (0/0).

"Lucky break Kiro Rinku. But," Salacia said pulling herself to her feet. She smiled and closed her eyes. "My Thousand-Eyes Restrict carries a new ability with it. Now not only are all other monsters on the field unable to change their battle positions, but also they are no longer allowed to attack. You're done! I end my turn."

"Turn three of Card of Demise as I draw!" Kiro said snapping a card off his deck. Smiling he slid it into his duel disk. "I set one card and end my turn."

"Then it is time to show you a lesson!" Salacia said pulling the top card off her deck.

"How? You said that only your Thousand-Eyes Restrict can attack, and look. It has no attack power." Kiro smugly said shrugging in the process. "Looks like you have been trapped."

"You may be right Kiro but I am not out. End turn." Salacia said looking at the back of her floating monster. "Just you wait until I draw something to get around that."

"We shall see, Four turns have passed so next turn I lose my hand." Kiro said pulling one card off his deck. _"Might as well play everything I have this turn. Too bad I will still lose some."_ Kiro pointed to the down card as it flipped up. "Rite of Spirit lets me pull back a Gravekeeper. I chose Gravekeeper's Curse!" As the trap flipped up, the familiar monster appeared on Kiro's field swinging its staff around. It shot a stream of the toxic green fog at Salacia who choked again in its gasses.

Kiro-600 LP  
Salacia-2300 LP

"Next I sacrifice it to summon Gravekeeper's Chief (1900/1200)(2400/1700)." A Egyptian man appeared on the field flipping around in his hands a staff that had a serpent's head on it. His robes were white and black in color and his skin was dark brown. "When he is summon I get to pull a Gravekeeper back from the grave. I chose myself, Gravekeeper Kiro (1800/1100)(2300/1600)." The Gravekeeper that represented Kiro appeared on his field in full force.

"Now what will you do?" Salacia asked as she watched Kiro slid a card into his duel disk.

"Activate this, Necrovalley's Lock and Key! This magic card only works if I have Gravekeeper's Chief on the field." Next to the Chief, a large iron pad lock with a large golden key designed in ancient Egyptian markings. Reaching out, the chief grabbed the key and began to turn it. The lock clicked and jerked open sending rays of lights shooting out.

"What does it do?" Salacia asked, shielding her eyes from the blinding light.

"It is the key to open a secret tomb in the Necrovalley. A tomb of a different dimension! But first, watch this!" Kiro pulled all the cards out of his cemetery. Grabbing three cards he held them up and flipped the around. "I also get to special summon three monsters from my grave the have Gravekeeper in their name. I summon in defense mode Gravekeeper's Curse (1300/1300), Gravekeeper's Spy (1700/2500), and Gravekeeper's Assailant (2000/2000)." All three of the said monster formed outlines on Kiro's field in the blinding light. There bodies slowly materializing in a white foam. "And Gravekeeper's Curse was summoned again." Kiro smirked as Salacia choked once again on the green toxic smoke.

Kiro-600 LP  
Salacia-1800 LP

"So what?" Salacia asked as Kiro slid the Necrovalley's Lock and Key into the graveyard slot.

"Like I said, I found another tomb." Kiro said holding up his duel disk. "As long as Necrovalley's Lock and Key remains the top card in my graveyard, nothing more can be placed in my graveyard slot. Everything else gets removed from play. And at the end of each of your turn, all my monsters that are special summoned are removed from play. But during my Standby phase I may special summon one of the monsters in my removed from play slot."

"Ok..." Salacia, Kaira, and Chao all cocked their heads at this strange maneuver. How this was going to save Kiro, they didn't know.

"For now I end my turn and hope for the best." Kiro sighed at the arsenal he assembled before him. "None of my monsters can attack so this is just a defensive wall."

"Then I move to take the power you have." Salacia said sliding a card off her deck. Smiling she pointed to Gravekeeper's Chief. "Take the only monster normal summoned on his field!" Salacia yelled as her purple behemoth monster began to suck in the chief. Putting up little resistance, the chief was absorbed by the purple monster. A bright aura flowed across its rough skin as it sucked the life out of the monster (1900/1200).

"But since I have Necrovalley on my field, my monsters all get a boost, I see one you could destroy with your monster! So will you?" Kiro asked cocking an eyebrow. He pointed to his gravekeeper bracing himself against his staff, his Gravekeeper's Curse.

"No thanks, I think I will sit this round out." Salacia said shaking her head. Her monster gave a disapproving grumbling noise but agreed to it none the less. "I end my turn, destroying your whole field." Salacia said pleased as all Kiro's monster self destructed.

"And you know they get removed from play." Kiro said sliding them into his removed from play slot. "My move, this time Card of Demise will destroy my hand once I draw..." Kiro snapped the top card off his deck and looked at it. His face paled and his jaw dropped open. "...Secret Spirit Guard-Hebanu (2400/1800)." A virtual guillotine appeared above his hand and proceeded to slid down slashing through the cards in his hand. Sighing, he slid them into his removed from play slot

"So now what? You are out of options and out of hope. Looks like I will win after all." Salacia said pleased with her monster.

_"I could revive Secret Spirit Guard-Habanu but it would do no good, I can't attack and I don't get its returning power unless I sacrifice it from Gravekeeper Kiro."_ Kiro growled pulling one of the cards back out. "I summon Gravekeeper's Spy (1700/2500) in defense mode." Kiro sighed as his black clad monster appeared crouching over bracing itself for any attack. "Turn end."

"Not much you can do against my power is there?" Salacia asked as she drew her card, smiling she slid it into her hand. Glaring across the field she spoke slowly. "Kiro Rinku, you have tried but you are not worthy to take these trials apparently. I am sorry that you will lose like this."

"I am not done." Kiro growled, narrowing his brow.

"Sorry to say," Salacia pointed to Kiro. "But you are."

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Sorry for taking so long to update in the middle of a duel like this. Don't worry, the next chapter is on its way slowly.

To John: Yea!

To LucienShadowMaster: That is exactly why. Still not completely sure as to what they are going to do once they get back into the real world.

To Gate Guardian32: Yea, I noticed. Hebanu is the name you are looking for. I have to type these names over and over again, so eventually I just have them down.

To Demon Fan:They sure says a lot of things don't they?  
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	18. Kiro's Will

Chapter 18: Kiro's Will

"I end my turn Kiro." Salacia announced waving her arm out pointing to the Gravekeeper's Spy. "And thanks to the lock you put on yourself, you lose your monster." She proudly announced as the spy monster broke into tiny data bits. Growling, Kiro deposited the card into his removed from play slot.

"Come on." Kiro closed his eyes as his fingers rested on his deck. Snapping the card off of his deck his eyes shot open as a pulse wave shot though the air. Snapping the card around in front of his face he smiled from ear to ear. "For my Necrovalley's Lock and Key being in my grave I may special summon Gravekeeper Kiro (1800/1100)(2300/1200) from my grave to the field." Once again, the monster version of Kiro appeared. Flexing its muscles it glared threateningly at the large purple monster.

"Please tell me your point." Salacia said as Kiro slapped his new card down.

"I sacrifice Gravekeeper Kiro to summon Secret Spirit Guard-Heruru (2400/1800)!" A huge glow of light as Kiro's monster started glowing and taking a new shape. It grew bigger and more built out. It looked exactly like Gravekeeper Kiro but his hair was pitch black and his eyes were solid black spheres in its head.. He was taller and more muscled out with a darker skin tone. Wearing a strange black robe that had three colored beads sewed into the back. One sky blue, one pure black in a white outline as to show up on the black robe, and one was dark gray.

"The second of the spirits rises! I didn't believe it," Salacia said rubbing her eyes. "But now I see it."

"Good, now lets see." Kiro looked down at the card and started to read it. "So if I sacrifice Gravekeeper Kiro for him I get to attack all monsters on your field in the same turn. And if Necrovalley is on the field I double the damage you take." His head looked up slowly from the card, his face with a very disappointed look of disgust on it. "Shit."

"That's not good." Chao commented looking from one side of the field to the other. "As long as Thousand-Eyes Restrict is in play you can't attack at all."

_("WHAT?")_ Kooru and Hebanu yelled at the now stunned Heruru.

_("Leave it to you to be so reckless that you have a worthless card in this situation.")_ Kooru complained to the motionless Heruru. Jaw open, Heruru just stared blankly at the card on the duel disk in front of Kiro.

"I have to end my turn." Kiro growled as his arms fell to his side. _"I have lost. There is no card in my deck that can stop this monster. I thought a spirit card would help but not in this situation."_

Drawing a card, Salacia looked rather disappointed. _"Nothing I can do to help and or hurt him."_ She thought to herself as she pulled out a card and slid it into her graveyard. "I discard one card to meet the hand limit of six. I end my turn."

"Since Secret Spirit Guard-Heruru isn't special summoned in any way he stays on my field." Kiro said, arms to his side, head bowed down. _"This is it guys, sorry. I tried."_

_("No, this can't be.")_ Hebanu said, tears beginning to roll down his face.

_"Sorry."_ Kiro's voice had gone monotone.

_("I knew it!")_ Heruru yelled out in Kiro's mind. Stomping around in a blind rage. _("I knew we couldn't rely on humans to trust our spirits to. Who the hell had this damn idea in the first place?")_ Stopping he glared up at the top of the mental room they were in. _("Damn you Kiro, you are so god damn weak. WHY ARE YOU SO WEAK?") _

"Sorry." Was the only word Kiro seemed to know anymore. His body was going limp, even though his feet were still trapped in the black fog they had enough movement to allow him to fall to his knees.

"Kiro?" Kaira asked taking a few steps forward towards the boy.

"STOP!" Salacia yelled to her. "If you come any closer he will lose this trial. Stay back." She ordered, getting a nod from Kaira.

* * *

Kiro had fallen into a complete black fog. He felt no outside presence around or in him. The spirits had seemed to vanish as did the whole world around him. He felt alone, cold, like he was in that dream. The fog around him was thick and heavy, sending chills down Kiro's spine. 

"I screwed it all up. I am a failure."

"No don't say it Gravekeeper Kiro." A voice echoed through the darkness. Slowly raising his head, Kiro saw Gravekeeper Chief standing above him. "You are the essence of the future and the past."

"I am a mistake, this shouldn't have been happening."

"Not true."

"It is very true." Gravekeeper's Chief said kneeling down next to Kiro. "I sense in you the soul of the warrior, the heart of battle burns in you. Why do you let your fire of the fight dwindle on a little fear. Have you no honor? Think of all you are here for, think of what you must strive for."

"Three spirits I have no clue as to who they are, what they are, and what they really want in this world." Kiro said slumping down even more landing on his hands and knees on the cold floor.

"They have a purpose. As do you, and you know it." Gravekeeper's Chief said looking at the boy. "What if I told you something I am not supposed to?"

"Like what?" Kiro's voice seemed distant, uninterested.

"What if I told you that destinies are not only being tested on your side, but on others." Gravekeeper's Chief went from his kneeling position to a full sitting one on the floor next to the boy. "People that you don't know, people that you would have no idea if you met them, that they carry a heavy burden as well. One part of this fate you carry with you, in your hand."

"What are you talking about?" Kiro said looking at the Egyptian man, still on his hands and knees.

"You are a part of something much bigger than you, or anyone you know, understand. You have your fate," The Gravekeeper's Chief sighed and looked around the fog filled blackness. "And they have theirs. They, like you, are sworn to guard a specific treasure."

"Treasure?" Kiro asked in his monotone voice. Slowly he pushed himself up so he was sitting next to the monster he had grown to know very well. "You mean these hell beasts I hold in my body? I wouldn't call them a treasure, more like a damn curse."

"So what if they aren't human? Demons alike can have feelings. Just like human, they cannot be judged as all bad, there is evil and good amongst all of them." Standing, Gravekeeper's Chief stretched his back out. "You have quickly judged them, you know them, but not well enough to judge them. Remember when you first met Kaira?"

"Yea..." Kiro said pushing himself to stand up next to his monster.

"Just like then, when you had secrets you had to hide from people, they have secrets they must keep even from you. The one that holds their spirits, their vessel. I cannot tell you their purpose, you wouldn't see."

"But I want to see."

"See the blindness in your eyes. If you knew now, the fate of not only the three spirits, not only the ones you know you need to be by, but the ones who are out there right now facing evil with the force they have been given." Gravekeeper's Chief turned his back to Kiro and took a step. "A destined battle must be waged by two separate groups. They work as a team, togetherness to overcome obstacles, sadly though you think you are on your own. But it doesn't matter, them, you? Though in two different places the goal you share with them is the same. You have no idea of how many lives you in danger by giving up."

"Who? Kaira and Chao aren't a part of this, they will not be hurt by the trials." Kiro said to the back of his monster.

"Not them, others like I said. Maybe you will meet them someday when this is over. Hopefully in the hope of a bright future. So tell me, why are you giving up?"

"I have nothing...left to fight with." Kiro admitted bowing his head again.

"You don't? I think you do." Gravekeeper Chief said turning back to Kiro. "And you know what I am talking about."

"I do?" Kiro asked looking into his monsters eyes. "Like what?"

"You know, you have known all your life. Use what you have to win." He said before vanishing into the fog of the area around Kiro. Looking blankly at the spot where his monster used to be, Kiro though about this thing, this last weapon he had. He had no clue as to what it could be. He had used up all his resources, Salacia was to strong. But wait, he did know, and he knew he knew. A smile crossed his face as he looked down at the duel disk strapped to his arm.

"All we do is row the boat, we are steered by the river of fate. If one falls off the boat in the harsh rapids, one won't drown by falling in the water itself; you will drown by staying there..."

* * *

"...No matter how rough the water of fate may be for you, you must pull yourself back into the boat and push on. For a destiny like mine, I don't row the boat for myself, but for the others who can't do it themselves." Kiro stood up slowly, speaking in a slow deep voice. "Salacia, I am not done yet! You have no clue as to what I possess. What I am fighting for." Kiro announced, grabbing the top card off his deck and swinging it high above and behind his head so that no one knew what that card was. Locked in his index and middle finger turned away from all peering eyes. "I am no longer fighting for myself, my own reasons are far out the window. I am fighting for the fates of so many others." 

"Kiro's not fighting for himself?" Chao said impressed with Kiro's speech.

"That is a noble merit." Kaira said, smiling at Kiro's comment.

"Time to finish. I bring back the only monster that can help me thanks to my Necrovalley's Lock and Key. Arise Secret Spirit Guard-Hebanu (2400/1800). Attack mode." The Kiro like monster appeared next to the first one dubbed Heruru. Its sky blue hair, deep yellow eyes, and white robes made the only difference between them. "Brothers in arms."

"Yea, so? Heruru and Hebanu carry with them no power that can beat my Thousand-Eyes Restrict." Salacia shrugged at the cards. "What do you plan to do and how are you so certain you have drawn what you need to win?"

"I have." Kiro said, locked in place. "This trial belongs to me."

"Prove it." Salacia said crossing her arms. Kiro slowly moved his arm down and forward.

"I sacrifice Heruru and Hebanu to summon..." Hand covering the face of the card he placed it on the light field of his duel disk. Slowly he picked up his hand to reveal the last. "...Secret Spirit Guard-Kooru (3000/2000)."

"Two powers being unlocked and controlled in one match!" Salacia said stepping back at the much larger Kiro figure.

He was wearing a much more decorative robe in a gray color. One the back, the three orbs of sky blue, pure black, and dark gray although a different shade than his robe color. Long silver hair fell down from the air to rest on the shoulders of the monster. Slowly it opened its eyes to reveal stone cold gray eyes. In the ground next to him, a long sword stuck out of the ground. Grabbing the leather hilt, the monster pulled the sword out of the ground taking two hands to hold up the massive blade. It was pure black in the metal color with a dark blood red aura flowing off of it.

"So lets retally the scores." Kiro said looking down at his duel disk. "I have only but 600 life points left, sadly to say you have 1800 left. That is 1201 less than you needed to win."

"I don't think so, Thousand-Eyes Restrict won't allow..."

"...Me to attack due to its effect, well, " Kiro interrupted pointing to his monster, "when either two secret spirits guards or one and Gravekeeper Kiro are sacrificed to summon Secret Spirit Guard-Kooru, he gains the power to negate all effects of all monsters on your field." Kiro smiled as the thousand eyes on the monster began to close themselves. "That means you lose the effect to hold my monster." Kiro announced as the score meter dropped its attack (0/0).

"No, I will lose!" Salacia yelled looking up at the crate above her head in the black fog net.

"Yes you will, Secret Spirit Guard-Kooru attack her monster now, Sword of the Gods Roar!" Kiro yelled pointing to the heavens as he called his attack. Lifting the large sword, the silver haired monster charged across the field. Winding it back, the massive weapon was swung forward blowing the monster to bits before the metal of the weapon even made contact with is purple skin.

Kiro-600 LP  
Salacia-0 LP

"Alright Kiro Rinku, you have won." Salacia said dropping to her knees. "Passing the test of the sun yellow moon. But you wait, the trial of the blazing red moon awaits you next."

"I see." Kiro said looking down at his duel disk. One of the ten orbs was already glowing frozen blue, now the one next to it started glowing a bright yellow.

"Now I end my life, baring the life for you to push on. You have what it takes." Salacia said flashing the thumbs up. Just then, the black fog net holding the large crate above Salacia's head disappeared and the massive crate fell to the ground. As the large wooden box hit the ground, something inside it clicked and the whole box exploded sending waves of fire and heat blowing outwards. Kiro, Kaira, and Chao were all blinded by the explosion, then all they saw was darkness. There body now limp, numb, motionless.

* * *

The remaining eight testers and the robed center figure looked up to see the lime green flame of Salacia's orb dwindled and die out. A smile crossed Iah's lips as she stared at the dead orb. "My turn." 

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The next tester is Iah, what kind of strategy will she invoke? Well lets find out.

To John: And he almost lost it again in this chapter.

To Demon Fan: Well I guess that means I am keeping you interested.

To LucienShadowMaster:  
Relinquished  
Spellcaster/DARK/1 Attack 0/Defense 0 **  
**Effect: Select 1 monster on your opponent's side of the field and equip it to this card (this effect can only be used once per turn and you can only equip 1 monster at a time to this card). The ATK and DEF of this card become the same amounts as the monster equipped to this card. If this card is destroyed as a result of battle, the equipped monster is destroyed instead,** and any battle damage you received from the battle is also inflicted to your opponent's Life Points.**

If Salacia doesn't take any damage, neither would Kiro. The key word there is also.**  
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	19. Nature Calls

Chapter 19: Nature Calls

Kaira felt her numb body. To her, it weighed two tons. She couldn't even open her eyes now even though she had conciseness. The intoxicating aroma of burned metal and wood was surrounding her. Her thoughts drifted like most do before sleep covers them. The only thing she was sure of was that she was lying flat on her back.

She could hear movement around her. Sounding like two people moving on their knees in dirt. Then she felt it, a cold hand on the very bottom of her belly. Right in the gap between her shirt and her pants. A cold chill shot down her spine as she felt the hand moving up her belly, pulling her shirt up with it. In her chest, her heart was starting to beat faster and faster.

"Yea that's it. Move it slowly." A voice, Kaira knew she reconized, said as the shirt moved slowly up.

_"Oh my god, please no."_ Kaira thought to herself. Trying to build up the energy to try to fight back, but her body still felt like a ton of rocks to her.

"Oooh." A second voice, she also knew she recognized, said as the shirt was finally moved up enough to expose her belly.

Gritting her teeth she finally forced her heavy eye lids open to see that next to her was Kiro and Chao. Flailing mad, she moved to stop them from what they were doing. She started to push herself up, but a sharp needle like pain shot through her gut. The paralyzing sting shot threw her veins causing her to flop back on the ground.

"Don't move Kaira." A sweeter voice said. That is when Kaira noticed the sky blue hair and yellow eyes that belonged to Hebanu, not Kiro. He smiled warmly at her. "You are hurt badly."

"Yea." Chao said. She could feel his cold hand touch her soft skin on her stomach. Moving slowly, he moved the palm of his hand down to her left side. As he got closer to her side the sharp stabbing pain started again. Tensing up her body, she felt the outline of a large gash on her side.

"What...happened?" Kaira asked Hebanu who was holding her shirt up just below her breasts to leave her stomach exposed.

"That crate that fell on Salacia exploded taking the part of that side of the warehouse with it." Hebanu said looking back at her.

"Damn thing had a small amount of dynamite or something in it." Chao said as he continued to examine the wound.

"Knocked us all out cold for a long time." Hebanu said once Chao was finished. "Kiro, Heruru, and Kooru are still out cold. I came around first then tended to Chao who came around next."

That is when Kaira noticed her surroundings. They were in half of the empty warehouse. The other end of it was blown up and burned where Salacia stood to duel. Twisted pieces of metal covered in burn marks lay around them along with burnt pieces of wood. Dust, soot, and blood were dropped around the building.

"Not only that but we have been out for many hours." Hebanu continued. "I can sense the presence of another one of the testers. But they seem to be quite a ways away. Like out in the mountains and woods that are just out of town."

"But she is in no condition to travel." Chao exclaimed to the blue haired demon.

"I know." Hebanu lowered his head to the ground. "I am thinking I will take this alone then. Let her get her rest. You can stay here to watch over her."

"Are you sure you want to go alone?" Chao asked as Hebanu stood up.

"I am." Looking down at Kaira. "Kiro was meant to do this on his own in the first place. But the scriptures talk about a strong warrior that accompanies him. Even we, Heruru, Kooru and I, don't know exactly what that means."

"But..." Kaira started to protest to Hebanu's going.

"Don't worry Kaira." Hebanu smiled down to her. "Kiro will come back safe. I promise."

"He had...better." She weakly said as Hebanu turned away from the two of them.

"I will return, or hopefully we all will." Starting to walk slowly to the door, he glanced over his shoulder at the two of them. "Rest up, we shall return once we finish this task." Sliding open the partially destroyed door, Hebanu stepped out into the world. Judging by the sun, it was late after noon. Close to evening. Feeling for the presence, Hebanu took off running in the direction he sensed.

"Please come back Kiro." Kaira said under her breath before passing out again. Chao stared at her in wonderment at her last comment.

_"I see, so she does like him."_ Smiling, he interpreted her comment to that fact. He had to admit, most guys would kill to be alone with a girl like this. _"Kiro should feel lucky."_ Slowly he slid her shirt back down, trying to avoid any contact with the large gash on her side. It now was just dried blood and swollen skin, but he imagined it would hurt like hell to touch it.

* * *

Wind whipping past him, blowing his hair back, as he ran. Hebanu finally made it to the outskirts of town. Before him, a large forest stretched out with many small hills. Curving a bit, Hebanu found a dirt trail that led down into the forest. Still in his run, Hebanu felt the presence of someone in his head stirring.

_("Kaira...")_ It was Kiro! He was still lying on the floor, partially unconscious. _("Be safe.")_

_"She will be Kiro."_ Hebanu spoke softly to the boy, which seemed to awaken him enough to sit up.

Slowly opening his eyes he saw the inner chamber of his mind that he and the spirits shared. Looking around he saw two more unconscious bodies lying at opposite ends of the chamber. Heruru and Kooru where still knocked out cold. Grabbing his head, Kiro's head ached from what transpired last night. Slowly pushing himself up he made a mental connection with Hebanu since he knew that he was in control.

_("Why are we running in the forest?")_ Kiro's voice was wavery and still a bit confused.

_"I sensed the next tester has already arrived."_ Hebanu spoke back, noticing not to speak to loud. _"It seems that they are all the way out here in the middle of nowhere."_

_("Wow.")_ Kiro still seemed a bit out of it, but realizing what was going on he was waking up a bit more. _("What happened?")_

_"That box that fell on Salacia exploded, knocking us all out for hours."_ Hebanu explained. _"Us and Chao walked away with minor scratches and bruises. Kaira however..."_

_("What about Kaira?")_ Kiro snapped, now more alert and conscious. _("Tell me or I will kill you Hebanu.")_

_"She got an injury one her side."_ Hebanu said it as frightened comeback. _"Just cut a bit, don't freak out on me. I thought you didn't care about her."_

Breaking the mental connection a bit, Kiro found himself blushing. _("I don't! She is a stupid girl. I could care less what happened to her.")_

_"Really?"_ Hebanu cocked an eyebrow. _"Didn't sound like that just a second ago."_

_("Dammit Hebanu, shut up or I will kill you.")_ Kiro retaliated to the blue haired demon.

_("Shut up or I will kill you both.")_ Heruru growled, bracing himself against a mental wall. Shaking his head as he tried to come around.

_"Good to see you're awake brother."_ Hebanu greeted his brother as he stood up.

_("Hebanu, I will kill you just for the hell of it.")_ Heruru snarled at his brother. Still a bit dizzy, he sat back down on the mental floor. Looking up, he also saw Kooru pushing himself up.

_("What the...")_ Kooru's confusion as he looked around. _("What are we doing and where are we going?")_ He also tried to stand up but wavered a bit.

_"I sensed another tester had arrived."_ Hebanu explained to them about the whole situation. Still running, he was dodging trees and branches. Making it to the top of a small hill, he sat down on a rock panting. Looking over the sky, he noticed it was growing dark already. The sky had a strange red tint to it, coming from the rising moon. "The blazing red moon."

"So what is with the moon tonight?" A new voice came from below Hebanu. Looking down he saw a strange boy standing there. He had spiky light brown hair, and large green eyes.

"Um...It's red?" Hebanu commented back to the strange boy.

"Well yea, I can see that." He said smiling, showing that he was missing quite a few teeth. "But you called it the blazing red moon, like you knew what it meant."

"Well kind of." The sky blue haired demon watched the kid walk up the hill and stop next to him. "Have you seen anyone running around in a cloak or was acting very suspicious?"

"Yea, down that way." The kid pointed back the way he came. To a small little dip down in the earth completely covered in threes.

"Wow thanks, kid." Hebanu said standing up.

"Please, call me Deo." Rubbing the back of his head he gave a childlike grin. "Well my name is Deodatus, but everyone just calls me Deo."

"Much easier to remember too." Hebanu commented standing up. "Thanks Deo."

"Your welcome." The kid, Deo, smiled back. Cocking his head to the side, he took a more serious face. "So why did you want to know that?"

"Because I have to play a game with them." Hebanu commented back, starting to walk down the hill. "Thanks again." As he was preparing to run, he noticed the kid walking up beside him. "What are you doing?"

"I think I will tag along." Deo smirked. "I like games."

"Oh no, this is a very dangerous game." Hebanu said trying to make the kid turn back. "Very scary. People get hurt."

"Cool." Deo's childish smile widened. "I like people getting hurt in games."

"What?" Hebanu stopped walking and looked at the kid. "Ok then, no one gets hurt."

"Good to, nice fair game." Deo smiled back. "I like it when people play for fun. Nothing on the line."

"There is no way I am going to get you to turn back is there?" Hebanu asked as he started to walk again down the hill.

"Nope." Deo continued to follow Hebanu.

* * *

Fighting Heruru and Kiro the whole way to the crater, Hebanu remained in control so that the kid wasn't hurt. Even though they were both threatening him with his life, Hebanu stayed brave and tried to ignore them. He knew he was in for it when he let Kiro have control of the body again but he didn't care.

Arriving at the large crater covered in thick trees, night had fallen over the sky. A bright red glow was cast upon the ground from the fiery red moon. Walking down the side of the tree covered wall to the crater, the two boys tried to avoid the vegetation in the area. Coming to a complete stop at the bottom of the hill, Hebanu and Deo saw a woman in a black cloak standing on a tree trunk.

_"Ok Kiro, your turn."_ Hebanu said quickly passing control of the body to the green haired boy. Slowly opening his eyes, Deo noticed that they had changed from yellow to reddish.

"Wow, you changed colors." Deo's confusion made Kiro give him a cold stare out of the corner of his eye.

"So who are you?" Kiro growled as the woman pulled off the cloak she was wearing. She wasn't as tall and slim as Salacia, averaging out about Kiro's height. Wearing a black shirt with a blood red x drawn in the middle. Her eyes were dark green and the traditional triangles were drawn under them.

"Iah, tester of the blazing red moon." Iah moved her left arm out so that a group of vines crawled down from her back and wrapped around her arm. Fanning out, it formed itself into a duel disk shaped device. "Here to test your might and worthiness of carrying the spirits around."

"Spirits?" Deo asked, getting another cold glare from Kiro out of the corner of his eye.

"Fine, lets get this test over with." Kiro said, bringing his attention back to Iah.

"Not yet, tell your friend to step off to the side." Iah announced pointing to Deo. Kiro didn't say a word, but Deo still moved away from the boy. Slowly, Kiro noticed that vines started to form a wall behind him and Iah. Looking over his shoulder he saw that it was a solid wall. Running down the vines were long, sharp thorns. Big enough to pierce someone through. "The wall will fall on the loser, running the thrones through the body."

"Wow." Deo whistled at hearing this. "So the loser is killed."

"More or less." Kiro growled as he held up his duel disk. The pure white dueling field materialized before the wrist device. "Time to duel Iah!"

"Yes." Both of the players slammed their decks into the deck slots. A beeping noise was heard as life points rose.

Kiro-5000 LP  
Iah-5000 LP

"I start now." Iah declared snapping her cards from her deck. Grabbing one of her cards she slapped it horizontally on her duel disk. "I summon Complex Life Tree (200/1600) in defense mode!" Before Iah a large tree began to sprout from the ground. Long branches sprouted out from it as it grew, adorned with many colorful leaves. Small little balls of light seen to be growling like fruit would be on this tree. "I'll set up this card and wait to see what kind of tricks you have." Iah's new card materialized off to the side of her back row.

"Not a very impressive start." Kiro mocked as he slid a card off his deck. "I summon Gravekeeper's Vassal (700/500) in face up defense mode and to end my turn, two set cards." Kiro's Gravekeeper monster appeared crouching down on its card. Two cards appeared behind it in a ripple of light.

"Pretty unimpressive move." Iah mocked as she drew her card. Grabbing another card from her hand she slapped it onto her duel disk. "I summon Arcane Archer of the Forest (900/1400) in defense mode" A rustling could be heard from deep within the large tree. A small boy appeared on one of the branches holding a rather large bow. "He can't be attacked if a plant type card exists on my field. Which Complex Life Tree is a plant. Next I activate the ability of my tree, by sacrificing 500 life points once per turn I may special summon one monster from my hand to the field."

Kiro-5000 LP  
Iah-4500 LP

"I summon Prickle Fairy (300/2000) in defense mode as well." A green woman appeared at the base of the large tree, long vines shot out around its whole body covered in thorns. "Next I sacrifice it to Arcane Archer of the Forest so he can use his ability to destroy one of your set cards!" The newly formed monster faded away into light energy. This energy flowed up the tree to the boy sitting there. Reaching out, he grabbed the energy and placed it on his bow. Slowly, the light began to form into an arrow. Pulling back, he shot it at one of the set cards, piercing it through and destroying it.

_"Good thing it was just a bluff."_ Kiro thought to himself, trying to act a bit nervous to make Iah think her plan had done something good.

"Turn end, Kiro Rinku." Iah smiled as he prepared to draw his next card. "Time to see if you truly are worthy."

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From a deck of darkness to a deck of the forest.

To John: Agreed.

To LucienShadowMaster: Hey, we all do stupid things now and again. Well I guess you will just have to hang on and see once I reveal my Trikey to you.

To Demon Fan: A deck of the forest.

To Gate Guardian32: Really, it sure was _great_ wasn't it.  
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	20. Trapped! Incredible Force of Nature

Chapter 20: Trapped! Incredible Force of Nature

Iah stood strong behind her large tree monster, the archer high in its branches. Off to the end of her field sat a set card. Kiro smiled as he slid the next card off his deck. Adding it to his hand he pointed to the downed card. "Activate Dian Keto the Cure Master! She will increase my life by 1000 points."

Kiro-6000 LP  
Iah-4500 LP

"You destroyed my first, which was a bluff." Kiro smirked. "I had two, but decided I would see what style of play you had before I got to hasty with playing them." Kiro grabbed another card in his hand. "Next I summon Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier (1500/1000) in attack mode!" The Egyptian spear wielder appeared on Kiro's field. Twirling his spear around his body, he snapped it down pointing at Iah.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Iah raised an eyebrow to the spear wielding monster.

"Yes it is, it can deal damage through defense so even though both of your monsters are in defense mode, your life points aren't safe!" Grabbing the middle card of the three cards in his hand, Kiro whipped out a card and flipped it around. "I play Necrovalley!"

The large stone walls began to form around the arena. Deo, Kiro, and Iah all watched as they seemed to rise out of the ground. The two duelists were raised on to pillars of rock that jutted up from the ground beneath their feet. Still at the ends of the valley the large wall of deadly thorns stood tall.

"Wow." Deo looked around. "You play a mean game of Duel Monsters."

"I have to play mean, or I will die." Kiro said looking at the kid. "Now go my Gravekeeper's..." Kiro was cut off as he looked at the valley around him. Vines were breaking through the hard stone walls of his valley cracking the rocks and covering the surface. He also noticed that his two Gravekeeper monsters weren't getting a power bonus.

"I activate my trap card." Iah smirked as her purple colored card glowed brightly off to the side of her field. "Earth Squeezing Vines! I was waiting to spring this on you when you played Necrovalley."

"What does Earth Squeezing Vines actually do?" Deo asked from his place on the sidelines.

"Well it can be activated when the opponent plays a field magic card. First off, it negates the card for as long as this card is face up on the field. So you don't get a boost nor do you seal off the graveyard." Iah smiled. "But there is more. That field card can't be destroyed, so no getting rid of it."

"So you negated my field card? Is that all?" Kiro smirked. That would set him back a bit, but he could still recover.

"Nope, now I gain back 500 life points a turn for each turn this card is on the field negating your field card." Iah smirked as Kiro realized how she was working her strategy.

"Gain 500 from that, pay it to your Complex Life Tree to summon a monster and if it is plant you can destroy my magic and trap cards."

"Yup, but that won't get your life points down. There is another piece that you haven't seen yet." Iah smirked. "So what are you going to do this turn. My Arcane Archer of the Forest can't be attacked if a plant monster is on my field, and my plant monster has more defense power than your two monsters."

"Shut up, turn end." Kiro growled as his two monsters looked disgruntled.

"Good, now that I have entangled you into my tight web of vines, I can continue to take you down. Draw!" Snapping a card off her deck she smiled. "First go Earth Squeezing Vines! Give me life!"

Kiro-6000 LP  
Iah-5000 LP

"I will first summon a good friend of mind, come forth Bean Soldier (1400/1300)!" A large green bean monster burst to life on Iah's field. Landing on its brown boots, the strange bean monster held a large sword in its gloved hands. "And I will boost his power with this, go Vile Germs!" Small dark purple little creature began to climb upon the strange bean monster Sticking all over its body, the germs seem to squirm into the beans skin, increasing its power (1700/1600). "Attack Spear Solder now! String Bean Sword!"

Flying across the field, the bean monster cut straight down the body of the spear wielding monster. Screaming in pain the monster exploded into tiny data bits. A small part of the staff that had been cut off by the attack from the bean monster flew back and smacked into Kiro's chest, knocking the wind out of him.

Kiro-5800 LP  
Iah-5000 LP

"Next up, I will set one card face down just to stall you from getting past my Bean Soldier." Iah smirked as she slid a card face down into the tangled vines that were acting as her duel disk.

* * *

Slowly opening her eyes, Kaira looked around. She was moving! Her eyes were too blurry still to see anything clearly, but she could tell she was moving somewhere slowly. 

"You awake Kaira?" Chao's voice flowed into her ears. Blinking a few times, her vision straightened out so that she could see she was being carried on Chao's back. Adjusting herself slightly, a sharp pain shot through her side again. "Kaira you ok?" Chao asked stopping.

"..yea..I am fine." Kaira mumbled out resting her head on his shoulder.

"I doubt that." He said starting to walk again. "We were out for a long time and you have lost a lot of blood." Chao slowly moved his arms that were around her legs to move her to what she was trying to do herself. "You are really weak, good thing for me that you are light."

"I am fat." Kaira mumbled.

Chao fought to hold back a laugh. _"Even as weak as she is, typical girl."

* * *

_

Catching his second wind, Kiro looked up at Iah who was waiting for him to make a move. Touching his chest, he could feel the stinging pain from the place where he was hit. Shaking it off, he drew a card. "This could help, I play Pot of Greed!" Flipping the card around to show Iah, he proceeded to draw two more cards. "This is what I needed, I summon myself, Gravekeeper Kiro (1800/1100) in attack mode!" The monster version of Kiro appeared in a flash of light. Landing on the ground, the new monster flexed its muscles and took a fighting stance.

"Aw, but Necrovalley is already on the field so you won't get to bring another one to the field." Iah smirked. Deo who seemed kind of confused just remained silent.

"So, Gravekeeper Kiro has another ability. When he destroys a monster in battle and inflicts life point damage through that battle. I decrease you life by 200 for every Gravekeeper on my field. Go Gravekeeper Kiro! Attack Bean Soldier now!" Jumping into the air, the monster version of Kiro flipped around a bit and punched through the strange bean monster. Exploding open, the small purple germs from the magic card sprayed everywhere. Continuing to charge, Gravekeeper Kiro elbowed Iah in the gut, dropping her to her knees.

Kiro-5800 LP  
Iah-4500 LP

"You lose 100 points due to the battle of Bean Soldier and Gravekeeper Kiro, but then you lose 400 more points, 200 each for each Gravekeeper on my field. Kiro and Vassal." Kiro moved one of the other cards in his hand towards his duel disk of light. "I set one more card and end my turn."

"You made a good play." Iah admitted standing up. "But did you forget about my Earth Squeezing Vines? I will draw and gain back the points I lost." Snapping one card off her deck she looked at it and frowned.

Kiro-5800 LP  
Iah-5000 LP

"Got lucky I didn't draw a plant monster. So your set card is safe. Instead I will set this monster in face down defense mode and set one more card on the field besides." Iah slid the last two cards in her hand onto her weed duel disk. Ripples of light before her and her cards appeared. "Turn end."

"My move!" Kiro announced drawing a card. Smiling he picked up his own card. "I sacrifice Gravekeeper Kiro to summon Secret Spirit Guard-Heruru (2400/1800)!"

A huge glow of light as Kiro's monster started glowing and taking a new shape. It grew bigger and more built out. It looked exactly like Gravekeeper Kiro but his hair was pitch black and his eyes were solid black spheres in its head. He was taller and more muscled out with a darker skin tone. Wearing aits black robe that hada sky blue, a black in a white outline, and a dark graycolored beads sewed into the back.

"Because I sacrifice Gravekeeper Kiro for him I get to attack all monsters on your field in the same turn. And if Necrovalley is on the field I double the damage you take." Smiling he pointed to Iah's field. "Attack now Heruru! Wipe her off the board!"

"Wrong!" Iah yelled as her two set card flipped up. "First trap, Quick Sand Pit Fall! This will stop your monster from attacking if I make a sacrifice of a continous magic or trap that is active one my field. So I will scrap my Earth Squeezing Vines to it."

The large beast found himself sinking in virtual quick sand. Growling, it tried to pull itself out, but to no avail.

"Next I play Dust Tornado! This destroys Necrovalley!" Iah announced as a huge burst of wind ripped apart the large stone walls that surrounded them.

_"She blew her whole magic and trap field just then! And she wasted her hand last turn!"_ Kiro smirked. _"I have the advantage now."_ Looking at his hand, Kiro looked up. "I end my turn."

"Draw!" Iah yelled, looking at the card she frowned a bit. "Turn end."

Kiro started to snicker. Pointing to Iah he smiled. "Wait, wait, wait" Kiro laughed a bit more. "Aren't you testers supposed to test me? You have been the easiest so far."

"Really?" Iah asked, a bit frustrated but kept her voice normal. "Looking at the score it would appear that I haven't lost a single point from the time we started this."

"But I have gain 800 more." Kiro said holding up his duel disk. Placing his fingers on his deck her drew his card. "I will have Secret Spirit Guard-Heruru attack all the monsters on your field, first thing is your Complex Life Tree!" The black robed monster shot forward from Kiro's field and punched through the large trunk of the tree. Chunks of wood flew off from the attack landing all around the field. "Next is your archer!" Kiro yelled, as the boy fell from the collapsing tree, the monster version of Heruru punched the boy out of mid air. "And the set monster!" Kiro finally said. Secret Spirit Guard-Heruru stomped on the brown backed card.

"Fool." Iah commented under her breath. "You attacked my monster Man-Eater Bug (450/600). When it is flipped, I can use it to destroy your Secret Spirit Guard-Heruru!" A strange brown bug hopped out the card and started to crawl up the body of the black robed monster. In a ripple in space, the two of them faded away.

"Fine." Kiro said sliding his monster into the graveyard. "I end my turn."

* * *

"Oh my!" Katana, Muchi and Izumi yelled in unison as they ran out from their lab to the boy trudging down the sidewalk with a limp girl on his back. Chao was really happy to see other people. Even though he wasn't as weak as Kaira, he was still exhausted. 

Stopping his slow trudge, he turned to watch the three female characters running towards him. A weak smile did slowly creep over his face.

"So who are you ladies?" He asked as Muchi and Izumi carefully were taking Kaira off his back.

"Oh, sorry, I am Ann Katana, but everyone calls me Katana. These are my two assistants, Muchi and Izumi. We have seen this girl before with a boy named Kiro." Katana explained to the boy who appeared might just fall over. "Did he do this to the two of you?" She asked concerned. Chao smiled a bit and shook his head.

"Oh no, he didn't." He watched Muchi and Izumi slowly carrying Kaira into their lab.

"Oh..." Katana said slightly saddened.

"In fact this happened because Kiro and the spirits were trying to save us." Chao said looking at the light brown haired doctor in her lab uniform. "If you can't tell, some strange things are going on."

"The ten trials." Katana simply said. Chao nodded.

"So I see we really don't need to explain anything complicated to each other."

"I see that." Katana smiled motioning to her lab. "Come on it, rest awhile, you look as if you have been to hell and back."

"Well if you count a burning city and a black fog as thick as...well Kiro's skull, then yea, I have been through hell." Chao smirked, getting a laugh out of Katana.

* * *

"Draw." Iah slowly pulled a card from her vine duel disk. "I summon my Killer Needle (1200/1000) in attack mode!" A large bee type of monster appeared before Iah. It's wings buzzing frantically the monster hovered up and down in mid air as Iah slid her last card into her duel disk. "I set one card and have Killer Needle strike your Vassal!" Instantly the large bee flew across the field stabbing the monster through with its stinger. "Turn end." 

"Good." Kiro snapped a card off his deck in disgust. "You will definitely pay for that." Looking at the card he growled curses under his breath. "Open set card! Rite of Spirit lets me bring back a Gravekeeper monster, so come on back Gravekeeper Kiro!" The monster avatar of the duelist appeared on the field before Kiro. "I'll set this card down at well." In a rippling light a brown backed card appeared behind the monster.

"Well it won't help." Iah commented watching Kiro do this.

"To bad that it will...watch this. Gravekeeper Kiro," Kiro pointed to the insect type monster. "Attack now!"

"Open set card." Iah smirked as her card flipped up. "Go Trap Roots!" Bursting up from the ground just below the large insect monster, large vine like roots shot out. Wrapping themselves around the body of the Gravekeeper, it was in snared in the roots. "This card will stop your monsters advance. Not only that but now you cannot attack with it, switch its battle mode, or sacrifice it." Gravekeeper Kiro squirmed in the vines, trying to get free (2000/1100). "Oh and, Trap Roots makes your monsters attack power 2000. That just happens to be a boost in this case."

"Wow, thanks." Kiro smirked. "Ok fine, I end my turn."

"Good, my turn!" Iah slid the top card from her deck and flipped it over. "I sacrifice Killer Needle to summon Fairy King Truesdale (2200/1500) in attack mode!" The bee monster was engulfed in a pillar of light, shining brightly the monster faded away and was replaced with a large towering monster. Dressed in white, brown and green it held it scepter up to the sky. "My king increases the attack and defense of all plant monsters on my field by 500 points. Including itself! (2700/2000)"

"What?" Kiro stared up at the powerful monster. "How can this be?"

"Simple, Fairy King Truesdale attack! Forest Force Scepter Blast!" Raising the staff high in the air, the disk at the end began to glow in a lime green light. Forming a large light green ball, waves of energy shot off of it. Snapping the staff down from the air, the monster hurled the ball of energy at the monster still ensnared in the vines. Crashing into Gravekeeper Kiro, it completely wiped the monster out, and the ball of energy continued knocking Kiro backwards.

Kiro-5100 LP  
Iah-5000 LP

Iah threw her head back in laughter. "I must say Kiro Rinku, this is a pretty even matched duel. You have done well, but thanks to me getting out my Fairy King, I feel as if you won't stand a chance. So try your best." She smiled as Kiro stared at the pile of cards he called a deck.

"My turn Iah, Draw!"

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To LucienShadowMaster: Yea, it seemed that way didn't it? Oh and spirits kill each ohter...vary carefully.

To John: Heh, I see you enjoyed the name of my chapter.

To Demon Fan: Well thanks for that, who knows what style of cards will pop up in my fic. FYI, I not only knew that, but know all about Elemental Energy's cards.

To Darksoulki: Hi there. Been a while. Yea, this is my next peice of work. I hope it is turning out well.  
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	21. Open Field Draw Win! End the Weekend

Chapter 21: Open Field Draw Win! End the Weekend

A brown backed card rippled into existence in front of Kiro. "I set one monster face down defense mode and end my turn."

"Not much else you can do is there Kiro?" Iah smirked as she snapped up another card from her deck. Handing the card off to her left hand she pointed to the set monster with her now free right hand. "Attack it now Fairy King Truesdale!" Charging up a large lime green ball of energy on the end of its staff, the large king shot the ball of energy towards the set monster.

"Idiot." Kiro smirked as the hologram was wiped out. Picking up the card he showed it to Iah. "Gravekeeper's Guard (1000/1900) returns your all powerful monster to your hand." Shocked, Iah watched as her monster faded out of existence on the field before her.

"Fine, set one card face down and that is my turn." Iah said, sliding her drawn card for that turn into her magic and trap zone slot of her duel disk made of vines.

Drawing his card Kiro smirked at what it was. _"She was hesitant to set that card. It means it is a bluff. She has nothing that can stop me now."_ Kiro slapped the card down onto the duel disk. "I summon up Gravekeeper's Assailant (1500/1500) in attack mode!" A Egyptian warrior appeared on Kiro's field covered in black robes. In its right hand was a large wavy bladed sword. "Attack directly now!" Kiro yelled as his monster flew across the field and slashed the sword down across the woman's body.

Kiro-5100 LP  
Iah-3500 LP

Sliding back, Iah gave moans of pain as she clutched her chest. Kiro watched her for a few moments for he realized that blood was dripping down from her body to the ground below her. Iah pushed herself to stand up straight, still holding her chest, Kiro saw that it was slowly turning red. Stained with blood. Strangely enough, she smiled at him.

"Good move Kiro, I didn't see it coming." She started to wipe the blood off her hand on her pant leg. Strangely enough, the blood seem to float off with friction. Small rainbowed colored particles started to fill the air around her legs. "You saw that I had a bluff down. A very keen eye."

"Shut up and take you turn. I am done here." Kiro growled. Deo still stood in silence. His head slowly moving towards Iah as it was her move.

"Why so angry Kiro?" Iah asked, bowing her head. "That was a good play and the first you have made all game."

Kiro's eyes widened in realization that she was right. _"Even though I have summoned up powerful monsters and she has been on the defensive this whole game, that is the first time she lost control! She has really been holding me down from stopping her. Maybe..."_ Kiro's eyes narrowed as he looked at her. _"She is better than I thought. Too bad I realized the her face down card is a bluff and only her Fairy King Truesdale is in her hand."_

"Draw card!" Iah yelled, snapping a card from its spot on her deck. "This is perfect. I play the magic card Change of Heart! This magic card gives me your monster for a turn."

"What!" Kiro's eyes widened as a faint aura surrounded his Assailant. Slowly it hovered to Iah's side of the field.

"Now I sacrifice your powerful monster to summon back mine. Come forth Fairy King Truesdale again!" Slapping the card down on her duel disk, a pillar of pure white light engulfed the black robed figure. From within the pillar of light, the large fairy monster reappeared on the field. "Now my king, attack directly for 2700 points of damage!" Iah yelled as her monster blasted the lime green light out, flying towards Kiro at an extreme speed.

Kiro quickly glanced down to his set card. _"No, I will need it to stop that thing."_ Kiro growled as the lime green light came crashing into him sending him flying to the ground. Sliding a bit, he slowly came to a holt on the ground.

Kiro-2400 LP  
Iah-3500 LP

Groaning, Kiro laid face down on the ground for a few minutes. A cold numbness was running down his spine and spreading outwards. _"That...wasn't...pleasent."_

_("Kiro, you going to be ok?")_ Hebanu's voice asked Kiro from his mental chamber.

_"I think so."_ Kiro said as a cold rush of life ran back into his limbs as he called upon the strength to stand up. "Iah, are you done yet?" Kiro growled out, trying to act as if it didn't hurt half as bad as it really did.

"I guess so, Kiro." Iah smiled at his determination. She still wanted him to win deep down, but she was actually having fun with him. It was a fair match, minus the death to the loser, and it was an evenly match duel.

"Draw!" Eyes wide with joy, he stared at the one card he was waiting for. _"Perfect, surprisingly enough I was waiting to rely on you of all people..., I mean demons."_ Kiro quickly pointed to the set card. "Activate Rite of Spirit! This trap lets me revive a monster with Gravekeeper in its name to the field, come back now Gravekeeper Kiro!" Just as the monster version of the duelist materialized on the field in front of its master, the large stone walls of the valley of the dead shot up around the three of them again.

"Thanks to your Gravekeeper you get to bring back Necrovalley from anywhere." Iah smirked as she was raisin off the ground by the stone slab below her feet. "And it will pump up your monster by 500 attack and defense."

"Yup." Kiro smirked as the score increased (2300/1600). "Next I will sacrifice him to summon this, Secret Spirit Guard-Hebanu (2400/1800)!" A huge glow of light and Kiro's monster started taking a new shape. It grew bigger and more built out, but still looking exactly like Gravekeeper Kiro. His hair was sky blue and his eyes were a soft yellow color now. He was taller and more muscled out. Wearing a strange white robe that had three colored beads sewed into the back. One sky blue, one pure black, and one was dark gray. "And because I sacrificed Gravekeeper Kiro for him, I send these two cards to the grave to return the two cards on your field to your hand!" Kiro quickly slid two of the three cards he was holding into the his graveyard slot. As he did, a sudden burst of light shout out of his slot and hit both of the cards on Iah's field.

Iah, sadly, pulled the two cards out of her duel disk and placed them in her left hand. Looking up she saw Kiro smiling wickedly.

"Secret Spirit Guard-Hebanu can once gain the power that Necrovalley gives! Watch this!" Kiro yelled as his monster started glowing. Clenching its fists its power skyrocketed (2900/2300). "Attack directly!" Kiro bellowed snapping his arm out, pointing to the defenseless girl. Flying across the field, the monster version of the spirit hit Iah on the shoulder with his elbow, dropping her to the ground instantly.

Kiro-2400 LP  
Iah-600 LP

"Now how do you feel, that is twice I have tramped your life directly. You aren't so good." Kiro mocked as he watched Iah's motionless body from across the vine covered ground. The large walls of the Necrovalley creating a large stone walls that shadowed the entire area with a bone chilling darkness and the aura of death.

Deo watched in his complete silence. Iah hadn't moved a muscle since the monster had just smacked her down.

Nobody said a word for a good while as nothing happened in the area. Slowly though, Iah began to push herself up off the ground. Slowly straightening her back up she stood up slowly. The fire of battle burning in her eyes. A strange warm yet ice cold smile was stretched across her face.

"You have done very well Kiro." She spoke slowly and calmly. She seemed to be avoiding jerky movements, most likely because her back and shoulders were aching from the monster's blow. "I will assume it is my turn now." She smiled even more than before as she pulled a new card off her deck. Sighing she looked at its face. "Looks like I have been in a slight trapped situation."

"The only monster in your hand is your Fairy King?" Kiro smugly asked getting a quick nod from Iah.

"Yup." She smiled flipping the card she just drew over. "I activate Book of Moon. This magic card flips your monster face down." A burst of light and the large monster that represented Hebanu disappeared, being replaced by a brown backed card. "Next I play that bluff card, Nobleman of Crossout! He will remove your monster from play." A large knight in silver armor materialized out of the hologram of the magic card. Running across the field it stabbed its sword down through the card, breaking it apart instantly.

"Cheap trick." Kiro growled sliding his monster into his removed from play pile.

"Maybe, but now you know that the last card in my hand is my Fairy King Truesdale. I have nothing else." Iah held up the last card in her hand. Kiro narrowed his eyes at it. "I am assuming since your little grumble over there that you don't have a monster in your hand. Here is the question, can you draw one? All you need is 600 attack points and you can win."

"I know." Kiro grumbled again. Looking down at his deck he narrowed his eyes. Without looking up he spoke again. "My move?"

"Why yes it is Kiro." Iah simply spoke, knowing that this was probably the last turn.

"Draw then." Kiro said setting his fingers on his deck. Slowly he slid the card off his deck and flipped it over.

"Did you draw a monster?" Iah and Deo both asked at the same exact time. Kiro was standing silently staring at the card.

"Yes." He said looking up. Slowly he flipped the card onto the light platform of his duel disk. "I summon Gravekeeper's Watcher (1000/1000)(1500/1500)." In a sudden flash of light, a man with a black beard with black and white Egyptian robes appeared, holding a stone tablet under his arm he looked rather fierce as his attack rose by the effect of Necrovalley. "Finish this." Kiro said in a calm voice as his monster held out the stone tablet. Glowing brightly, the tablet shot out a white beam of light that slammed into Iah's body. Flying backwards, Iah crashed against the wall of thorns behind her.

The sound of her clothing and skin being torn into by the thorn made both Deo and Kiro slightly sick. Looking up, Iah smiled at Kiro.

Kiro-2400 LP  
Iah-0 LP

"Good going Kiro Rinku." Iah said before turning her head and coughing up some blood. Looking back she stared with warm eyes at him. "It was actually a fun duel. I will gladly say that you have passed the test of the blazing red moon." She said as Kiro watched the next little gem on his duel disk light up, glowing bright red in color.

"So what is next?" Kiro asked looking up at her.

"Next you will face the test of the pure white moon." These were the final words she spoke before the large wall of vines and thorns fell forward onto her, crushing her to death.

* * *

The lime green fire burning in the large pillar that belonged to Iah slowly flickered and died out. Small plums of smoke filled the orb.

* * *

Kiro and Deo watched as the large wall of vines and thorns that were behind Kiro gave under weight and fell apart. Slowly the two of them made their way through the vine entangled ground to get out of the area. 

"That was intense." Deo finally said to Kiro. Kiro, who still wasn't to pleased with Deo tagging along with him, glared at him out of the corner of his eye.

"What did you expect. I told you it would be dangerous."

"Well, yea." Deo said looking down at the ground. "But what was it all about?"

"Um...you don't need to know that."

"Tell me, please."

"No."

* * *

Kaira's eyes suddenly burst open as a sharp stabbing pain raced across her stomach. Quickly slapping down on her side that the cut was on she felt herself knock away someone's hand. Slowly turning over she stared up to see who it was. The room was completely dark so all she could make out was two thin outlines of people. One of them pulled her arm back since she knocked it away. 

"Who are you?" Kaira said relatively loud, so if anyone in the area heard, they could come to her rescue. "What do you want?" she said louder.

"What's going on?" A females' voice came from across the darkened room.

A sudden burst of light as light fixtures were illuminated. Everyone squinted at the light that shot through the room. Slowly, eyes readjusted to see the whole room. Katana, Chao, Muchi and Izumi were all sitting up in recliner chairs covered in blankets, as if they were all just sleeping. Kaira was laying on a couch at the far end of the room right in front of the hallway that lead to the front door. The two figures from before finally illuminated in light, the tall green haired boy they had all come to recognize as the holder of the spirits. Standing slightly behind him a light brown haired kid stood, eyes darting around the room at all the people.

"Kiro!" Kaira squealed, happy to see he returned alive.

Rubbing his forehead with his hand he looked at her. "Please don't do that."

Throwing the blanket aside, Katana stood up from her chair. Looking at the scene she looked rather confused. "Kiro, how did you figure out they were here? And who is that?" She asked, referring to Deo.

"I have three demon spirits in my body. They could sense you guys before I even got back into town." Kiro said giving a rather disgusted, but yet blank, stare at Katana. Looking back at the kid he motioned with his thumb. "This is...Deo right?" He asked turning to the kid who smiled a bit.

"Deodatus, but please call me Deo." Kiro looked back at the group.

"He won't leave me alone. He keeps following me." Kiro moved around the couch that Kaira was laid out on. Carefully, Kaira slid back a bit giving Kiro a place to sit down by her feet. Sitting down, his head bowed down looking at the floor.

"Hey guys." Chao said, still sitting in his chair. "Do you realize that we all have school tomorrow?"

"School..." Kiro looked up at Chao. "Dammit, your right."

"Can't say that we have had that easy of a weekend. It seemed like it has dragged on forever." Chao responded. Kaira nodded and Kiro growled a bit.

"Well when you life has been threatened at least three times this weekend, it isn't all that fun either." Kiro growled looking at the glove that still adorned his right hand. The three orbs that rested there shimmered in their own color. Slowly moving his arms he brought his left arm under his face. The white duel disk arm gadget was sitting turned off on his arm. Three of the ten small beads on the back of it were glowing. One was frozen blue, the one next to it was sun yellow, and the third one was blazing red.

"Um." Kaira moved her foot against Kiro's back to get his attention. Looking up, Kiro looked over to see what Kaira wanted. Looking up at Deo who was standing at the back of the couch, she then moved at looked at him. "Should we be talking about this with him here?"

"It's ok." Kiro said looking back to his duel disk. "Not only did he watch me duel Iah but one the way back down I told him everything. Between him and Hebanu it was the only way to get peace." Everyone save Deo and Kiro gave a chuckle at this.

"Well, it is late. You should just stay here tonight." Katana said offering her chair to either of the two new comers. Kiro stood up and moved to the corner of the room and sat down. Crouching up he looked at her.

"I'll sleep here. Keep your chair."

"How about you Deo?" Katana asked to the boy who was coming around the couch.

"No thanks." He said as he slowly got down on the floor. "I'll sleep here in this area. You may keep your chair, thanks for the offer."

"You sure?" Katana asked as the boy stretched out.

"Yea, this is like a kings bed down here for me." He said with a smile on his face.

"Ok then." Katana said looking around the living room of the lab. All these kids were battle scared and exhausted. Muchi and Izumi gave her a look telling her not to press the matter of the spirits at this point. Kiro had already passed out there in the corner. Smiling she sat back down in her chair and reclined it back. Reaching out she shut off the light. "Night everyone."

"Night." Was heard by many voices around the room.

As Katana laid there in her chair silent, her mind was starting to drift like it does when sleep is pending. One of the main things that had come to mind was something Kiro had said when he first arrived there. _"Demons."_

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Goes to show, anything is possible in my world.

To LucienShadowMaster: Well lets see. Andron and Kiro actually dueled from chapter 8 to 11, that is three chapters. Then Salacia and Kiro dueled from chapter 16 to 18. To be honest...this one was the shortest of all the tester duels. Lasting only from that small part of chapter 19, all of 20 and that part in 21. Sorry, had to think it out. So no, all of the tester duels have lasted at least three chapters.

To Darksoulki: Thanks.

To John: Yea, a really even match.

To Demon Fan: Thanks to you to.  
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	22. Taking an Interest

Chapter 22: Taking an Interest

Kiro, Chao, and Kaira dawned over the top of a hill street, like the sun rising over the east horizon. Kaira walking very slowly, limping almost, and bracing herself on the two boys that she walked in between. Under her shirt, which she had to borrow from Katana cause her's was still blood stained, her gash on her side was bandaged up and created a weird bump on the side of her shirt.

They had left Deo with Katana while they went to school. They had also tried to convince Kaira to stay there too but she decided she wanted to come. Despite their telling her what to do, the group of people couldn't change the mind of this determined kid.

But a new problem was rising. None of them had their schooling stuff with them. Katana, Muchi and Izumi had been able to find their old backpacks and a few notebooks, pencils and other school supplies to at least help them through this day.

Walking into the school building, a shrill scream echoed across the lobby where the three of them had entered into. From the other end of the room, a sandy brown haired girl bounced her way over the distance and through groups of peoples till she about crashed into Kaira.

Holding up their arms, Kiro and Chao were able to stop the girl before she collided into Kaira. Stunned a bit from the sudden stop, the girl looked at the three of them.

"Hi Ami." Kaira said, smiling at the girl.

"Kaira, your alive!" Ami's voice was charged with excitement and joy. "But I thought you would have died when your house burned down. They said they only recovered the body of your father, but we assumed that you went up with him."

Kaira's eyes quickly darted to the carpeted floor below. Closing her eyes, she fought to hold tears back. In the hectic weekend she hadn't had a chance to be sad about the loss of her family. Now it rushed back to her, in a stream of tears that flowed from her eyes down her cheeks. She started to breath hard, which she wish she hadn't. The gash on her side started to send a stabbing pain across her gut and up her spine.

"Um...I'm sorry?" Ami was unsure what to say. Reaching out, she gently gave her friend a hug. "I didn't mean to make you think about it."

_("I guess in all the things that have been going on, she's never had time to think about the loss of her family.")_ Hebanu's caring voice spoke in Kiro's head. Even Kiro felt a strange tug in his heart as he thought about it, but quickly ignored it.

"_True, but she needs to learn to toughen up."_ He said back to the kindest demon in his head. _"She'll never make it in life with tears."_

_("Kiro! How can you be so cold hearted?")_ Hebanu pleaded out with him. _("She lost everything but her own life. Her family is gone forever, she is now alone.")_

"_So?"_ Kiro asked, acting as if he didn't care, but deep down he was getting a very sinking feeling in his heart. He began to wonder if he didn't feel sorry for her, even if just in the least.

_("Kiro, I'm even going to agree with Hebanu. He is right this time. There is a time for anger and hostilities, but there is also a time for caring and compassion.")_ Kooru's calm and tranquil voice rang out in Kiro's head. Kiro was almost surprised, he hadn't expected Kooru to take sides on the matter.

"_And where was all this caring and compassion when I was growing up without a family?"_ Kiro yelled back at the two of them. His face starting to contort with anger. _"I don't even know where my family is cause they had to leave me alone to do my duties. For all I know they could be dead! They abandoned me! Don't tell me what it is like to be alone!"_ The force of his yell was actually pushing the two demons in his head back. So much anger and frustration was being released.

"Please don't kill me." Ami's voice broke into Kiro's thoughts. His eyes coming back into focus he realized he was staring at her. She was bowed over and slowly slinking backwards away from him. "I didn't mean to anger you."

Looking around a bit dumbfounded his gaze rested on Chao who was trying to comfort Kaira who was still bowed over crying. He looked at him almost concerned.

"What got you so mad all of a sudden?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. His eyes both curious, and almost a flick of anger. "You looked pretty pissed off."

Shaking his head he held up his right hand with the glove on it. With his eyes he motioned to the three orbs embedded on the back of the biker glove. Turning his head he looked back to Ami. Sighing, he tried to make this sound as sweet, but not caring, as possible.

"Its ok Ami." He began, slowly forming each words cause it was very out of character to forgive someone like this. "You didn't do anything wrong. Don't be sorry."

Ami's head jerked up in surprise. Wide eyed, she stared at the green haired kid for a second, catching his reddish colored eye. She actually could see he meant it, the nicest thing anyone had ever hear Kiro say, and he had said it to her. She was speechless to say the least, she started fumbling out noises that couldn't even pass as attempts at words.

"_I wonder what the spirits said to piss Kiro off that badly."_ Chao wondered as he slowly began to move Kaira to one of the tables set up in the room. Sitting her down gently, he scanned his memory. In all the time he had known Kiro, even now with the trials and he being around him so much, he had never seen Kiro that pissed.

"Its ok Ami...just don't expect me to be so kind all the time." Kiro said, walking past the girl who's jaw was still hanging open. Walking up next to Kaira, he knelt down and got even with her. "Kaira, you going to be ok?"

Students all around the lobby were now looking at the scene. Some at first were curious as to what was going on, but now all eyes and ears were on them. None of them, ever, had heard Kiro being nice to anyone.

Chao joined Ami with his jaw hanging open. Both stood there gawking at the two of them.

"I think...so." Kaira sniffled out, looking at Kiro. Her sandy brown eyes locked on to the reddish color of Kiro's. Even she was surprised at how Kiro was acting. She didn't show it as much as the others, but she really began to wonder why he was suddenly changing on her.

"Good." Kiro went to push him self up but stopped his movement. His eyes were wide with surprise too. From inside his head, the last voice he thought he would have heard say this was talking to him.

_("Dammit you thick skulled human. Don't leave her now, not when she needs comfort."_ Heruru's comment was something that even Hebanu and Kooru were looking on in wonderment.

The whole school's lobby wasastonished already, but when Kiro slowly sank back down and put his hand on herknee, letting her lean over and cry on his shoulder, they all about died from the pure shock.

"_What happened in that last tester duel?"_ Chao wondered, slowly realizing he could close his mouth. _"Kiro came back completely different."_

Cranking his head, Kiro looked behind him at the students in the lobby watching the whole scene. A darker look crossed his face. "And none of you have seen anything, right?" He growled out, installing back the fear he had within them with the mere tone of his words. They all nodded, scared of him again. Kiro smirked, happy that he still had control of the vain of fear pulsing in each of them still.

"_Ok, only a slight change in him."_ Chao sweat-dropped at Kiro's last comment to everyone in the room.

* * *

The morning was dragging on rather slowly for Police Captain Herold. Since his encounter with Kiro the first time at the hostage situation, his curiosity was peeked. He had tried to dig up information on the kid, but only got some basic information. His school, age, date of birth and stuff of that sort. Opening up the only file they had on record of the boy, Herold began to read aloud what it said. 

"Kiro Rinku, second born child, first male child, of Charles and Kimberly Rinku. Height; six foot. Hair color; dark green. Eye color: reddish brown." Sighing, Herold set the file folder down on his deck. Leaning back in his chair he looked around his office room. He had a pretty stuffy room, dull in colors and looked like a typical detectives office from those old movies. But he wasn't a detective, he just enjoyed those movies.

Standing up, he decided to take a break and grab a bite to eat somewhere. A hamburger sounded good to him. As he made his way around his desk, he stopped as his phone began to ring. Debating whether to answer it or not, he decided he better should. Picking it up he answered it.

"Yes?" He questioned. On the other end was his secretary.

"Sir we got a call from the school that you told us to monitor. It is recorded that Kaira Burue is present in school today." The women's voice was a little higher pitched but was still very professional about how she spoke.

"Ok, thank you." Herald said, hanging up the phone again. Thinking, he had just been on the site yesterday of the Burue's house that had burned down Friday night. Only one body was pulled from the wreckage at the present moment. The body of David Burue. But according to records, there should be three residents to the house. David, his son Deruku, and then Kaira.

Deciding the hamburger could wait he put on his jacket and strolled out the door.

* * *

The circle of cloaked figures was slowly diminishing. Seven out of the ten original lime green fires were still burning, filling the orb around them with a radiant light that shined wondrously across the darkened chamber. 

Stepping forward, the robed man known as Gallus approached that center figure. Stopping a few feet away, he looked at the center figure. Silence fell over the whole place again. Nothing was heard but the crackling of the fires. The figure in the center finally broke the silence.

"Gallus, you are ready to do battle?" The voice was raspy and low. Turning, away so they were not looking at each other directly, the figure continued to talk. "This is the next test he must face, if he should fail this one, you know what will happen."

"I know." Gallus said, bowing down slightly. "I plan to do my duty as the tester of the Pure White Moon. To test him and make sure he is truly ready. I am just afraid that he won't be able to beat me."

"Your greatest problem, Gallus, is your thick skull." Another male voice echoed across the chamber. Snapping his head to his left, Gallus looked at the robed figure who spoke.

"Hachiro is correct." A female voice that seemed like a childs' voice came from the figure standing next to the one labeled Hachiro. The figure was shorter than both Hachiro and Gallus, looking like a mere child next to them. "You aren't as good as you think you are. Not if you are only the fourth tester."

"Shut up Liat, you to Hachiro." Gallus's angered voice rang out over the whole chamber. Turning back, he looked at the side of the figure in the middle. "I shall not fail in my duties."

"See that you don't. He will win, if he is strong enough to win. You just teach him the lessons he needs to learn." The raspy voice spoke slowly before the silence fell back over the chamber. Gallus simply bowed, and began to walk backwards till he was back to the pole with his green fire flickering in the orb at the top.

* * *

Herold sighed and glanced at his watch again. He was sitting in his car outside the school building waiting for the finial bell to sound so he could catch up with Kaira. Smiling when the sound he wanted to hear rang out from the halls inside, he opened his door and slid out. 

Standing in the middle of the side walk, he watched kids filter past him. Some giving him very strange glares. Finally he spotted the people he wanted. Moving quickly, he maneuvered his way through the kids filtering out of the double doors. Finally catching up to them, with out a word, he got a strange glare from them.

"Hello..." Kaira spoke first, she was leaning against both Kiro and Chao for support. "Um...Herold right?"

"Yes Miss Burue." Herold spoke, looking concerned at how she was standing against the two boys on each side. "Are you ok?"

"Oh..." She looked down at her side and then shifted her gaze back up at the man. "Yes I am, just a slight injury to the side. It's been treated, I'm fine. Thanks for asking." She smiled rather dumbly at him.

"I see." He said looking at the two boys. Kiro seemed to be glaring at him, Chao's gaze was more innocent than anything. "Well I think we may need to talk to you down at the station miss. Would you mind coming with me?" He asked, shifting his eyes back to the blond haired girl.

"I'd rather not, but I could yes." Kaira reluctantly said. Moving towards the police man slowly, she fought to not sway back and forth. Taking a few steps towards the police man she seemed to be doing fine, but still felt a hand on her right shoulder. Turning her head, she saw Chao standing next to her.

"If it is all the same to you sir, we would like to accompany our friend." As he spoke, Kiro walked up next to Kaira and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Looking rather angry and uninterested really, he made a grumbling noise under his breath.

Herold stared down at the three of them. Sighing he nodded his approval that they could come along and he began to walk back to his car. Helping Kaira, the three of them followed slowly behind. Students had stopped moving, watching with wonderment at the three of them piling into the car. Backing out, Herold drove away down the street.

* * *

The sun was setting low in the west sky but the three of them were still in the police station. In a cold cement room, devoid of everything but a tables, chairs, a window and of course the door. Rising from his seat across from the three of the kids, Herold sighed from his long day. 

"Well I guess that is all we were wanting to know. Are you sure you have housing accommodations arranged?" Herold was directing his speech towards Kaira who nodded. "We could find you a place to stay if you want."

"No, that's ok. Thank you very much for the offer though sir." Kaira, Chao and Kiro stood up and slightly bowed to the man.

Herold led them out of the room and back to the main lobby of the police station. Thanking them again for their time he let them all walk out the front door. Watching it close, he seemed to be deep in though. He didn't really understand any more than when he had started.

Kaira was still bracing herself against the two boys on both sides of her, as they began to walk down the sidewalk. The setting sun was creating a dusky feel to the street, that became even more eerie with the white outline things were taking. The light was coming from the rising moon as it rose above the roof tops. Pure white in color as promised, the large sphere was rising on the next night of the trials.

"Here we go again." Kiro growled, feeling uneasy in the light of the moon. Inside his head, the three demons also shifted around. The three orbs on his biker glove began to shimmer in their respective colors; sky blue, gray, and black.

The light of the moon indeed made people feel uncomfortable. Bathing everything in sight in a ghostly with aura. Goose bumps began to appear on peoples arms and legs, the hair on the back of their necks standing up. Everyone had stopped, gazing up at the perfect white sphere. Catching everyone's eye, drawing every gaze up to it.

Until a loud scream ripped through the air. Jerking their heads down, people began to look for the source of the blood curdling yell. The eyes of people filled with fear except a pair of reddish colored eyes. Kiro's blood was starting to boil, his eyes narrowing with anger and disgust. Looking over at Chao, Kiro had to fight to keep his voice steady and calm.

"Chao, you'll have to hold onto Kaira and catch up with me." Kiro slid away from Kaira, allowing her to brace solely on Chao. "I have to get going." Kiro stated, getting a nod from both Chao and Kaira.

"Go, we'll catch up." Chao reassured him. Nodding, Kiro took off running down the sidewalk and rounded the corner at the end of the block. Once out of view, Kaira and Chao looked at each other before the two of them started to head down the sidewalk themself.

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And here is an update for my loyal readers. Yes I am still alive, but these past few weeks have been my finials, swamping me under with more work than I know what to do with. Plus all the other stuff I have to deal with. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this. Have a nice day!  
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	23. Trial Four

Chapter 23: Trial Four

Running at full force, Kiro dodged people and objects on the street as he made his way towards the growing energy source that he and the demons could feel. It was easy to avoid things from the pure light of the moon, making everything light up with a white aura.

_('"Wonder what we are going to be facing this time.")_ Hebanu pondered from inside Kiro's mind. Kooru even seemed interested in what they might face.

_("We have to be careful. Each tester seems to play completely different styles. If we are not careful we may fall into a strategy that we cannot beat.")_ Scratching his chin he looked up at the 'ceiling' of the room that he and the other spirits were in. _("They seem to know all about the Gravekeeper strategy that Kiro plays with.")_

"_It doesn't matter if they know or not."_ Kiro thought back to Kooru and Hebanu as he ran. Shifting his eyes around, he looked at everyone for the slightest indication of the tester he was to face. _"I'll still use it to rip them apart."_

_("Just don't get over confident. You do, they might rip you apart.")_ Kooru warned. He was going to say more, but stopped, jaw hanging open as his senses tingled.

Kiro slid to a stop, the rubber on the bottom of his beat up tennis shoes scraped hard on the cement sidewalk. Walking down the street before him, a man in a black cloak was moving towards him.

The windows of the shops and stores that were lining both sides of the street, began to blow inwards into the stores as the man walked past. A strange aura was around this man, licking of and cracking on the objects around him like whips.

Stopping about 10 feet away from Kiro, the man seemed to be laughing. Grabbing his robe, he ripped it off his body. Underneath was a tall board shouldered man. Black hair with razor like red strips running through it, slicked back on his head. His body had a skin tight piece of fabric around his torso, with a armor plating made of solid bone. His bare, muscular arms flexed at his sides. His eyes were cold, hard and dark gray in color. Under his eyes two long triangles, the tradition of the testers, were drawn down.

"Good evening Kiro Rinku." The man said, holding up an arm in a unthreatening way. Motioning to the street that they stood by. "I am Gallus, tester of the Pure White Moon, and am soon to be your worst nightmare."

"I think that I've lived through enough nightmares through my life time." Kiro said, holding up his left arm with the white wrist device attacked to it. "This will be easy enough to wipe your sorry ass off this street."

"Kiro Rinku, how dare you think that you can breeze through this trial." Gallus began to walk out into the street. The strange dark aura ripping through parked cars that were lining the side of the small two lane street. Large gashes were left where the aura had cut through the metal of the cars like a knife cuts through hot butter.

Stopping in the middle of the street, Gallus moved his whole body around so he was looking back at Kiro. Still standing on the side walk watching intently at what Gallus was doing. Pointing to a spot down the street, Gallus glared hard at the green haired boy.

"What are you waiting for. Get to your designated spot." Gallus ordered, getting a very disgruntled grow from Kiro that he was being ordered around. Stomping past the cars, Kiro marched his way down the street till he was a good distance away from were Gallus stood. Turning, Kiro glared down the street at the black haired tester. "Are you ready to face me yet boy?"

Kiro, angered even worse at the complete attitude of Gallus towards him already, held up his left arm with the white wrist gadget on it. From the front side of it, the field of pure white energy formed and spread out to make the dueling platform. "Ok, ok, I'm ready dammit. Your in such a rush that you must not realize that it is my fate to win this."

"Arrogant brat." Gallus shot back, holding his left arm off to the side. The skin on his arm began to move and ripple. From the back side of his arm, it appeared as if his bone started to appear. His strange dark aura that had been around his whole body began to flow down his arm to this spot where his bone was visible. Growing out, the bone began to multiply and stack themselves together to form out to his dueling plate. The bone acted as the structure of the duel disk, while it appeared raw muscle fanned out between each bone to create the five field places. Small opening in the back bones created the magic and trap zones. "You think you stand a chance against me, but you'll see you are dead wrong."

Although the sight of Gallus's version of the duel disk made Kiro slightly sick, he refrained from showing it at all. Pulling from his back pocket, Kiro held up his deck of cards. Slowly he began to shuffle the stack, but not taking his eyes off Gallus.

Gallus slid a deck of cards, thathe seemed to pull out of thin air, into a bone structure that protruded upwards from his wrist. Glancing upwards at Kiro, Gallus seemed almost angered at the sight of him. Raising his right hand, he snapped his fingers.

"What are you doin...g..." Kiro was cut off as the ground beneath him began to shake. Cracks formed in a rough circular pattern around him as the asphalt broke lose from the violent shaking. A gusting wind shot up from below the slab of concrete, lifting it off the ground. Pushing upwards, the chunk of rock lifted Kiro high from the street below. "Woah!"

Falling to his knees as the movement upwards finally stopped, Kiro glared upwards to see that Gallus was also one a similar chunk of concrete. Floating about two stories off the ground, the two slabs of rocks moved up and down slightly in slow, easy movements.

Gallus glared hard as he watch Kiro finally pulling himself to his feet. "About time, now shall we get this test underway?" He asked, holding his left arm up in front of him, showing he was ready to play.

_("Kiro, kick this jerk's ass.")_ Heruru growled, wishing that he could just get the chance to rip Gallus's throat apart.

"_Oh, I will."_ Kiro assured him. Holding up his left arm he also showed he was ready to play.

Below, Kaira and Chao finally arrived on the scene. Cranking their heads back, they looked up at the two pieces of concrete that were defying all laws of gravity. Looking back at each other, they just shrugged.

"We'll have to get on top of one of these roofs to see." Chao exclaimed, looking around for a fire escape to climb up. Finally spotting one on the side of a building, he pointed to it. "There." Grabbing a hold of Kaira's arm, the two of them moved as fast as they could to get to the latter.

"Now is the time to begin." Gallus announced in his gruffer tone. Grabbing the top five cards from his deck, he whipped them through the air and added them to his left hand. Kiro one at a time drew his opening five cards.

"Duel!" They both announced, echoing down the entire street.

Kiro-5000 LP  
Gallus-5000 LP

A silence fell over the entire street. A small breeze blew, and the sound of a chain-linked fence rattling in the distance were the only noises that came forth. Both Kiro and Gallus were studding their opening hands to see just how they were going to combat each other.

"My turn first! Draw!" Gallus yelled, snapping another card off his deck. Twisting it through the air he held it down in front of his face. Smirking slightly, he slapped the card onto the muscle dueling plate. "I start by summoning Infernalqueen Archfiend (900/1500) on the field in attack mode."

Appearing in a ring of up rushing energy, a tall demoness appeared. Clad in long purple robes, the eyes of this 'queen' glowed blood red on her face, adorned with needle like purple hair. Roaring, Gallus's monster floated down to where it rested hovering out just in front of the tester.

Grabbing another card in his hand he slid it into one of the bone outlines of the 'duel disk' protruding out of his arm. "I set one card on the field. This move ends my turn." Smirking, Gallus cocked an eye brow and took a bragging tone of voice. "Let see how you do against my great Archfiend demons. There a bit different than those you carry with you."

Kiro growled, still not very used to the fact that he had been a host to three demons his whole life without knowing it. Pointing out his arm, he motioned to the Infernalqueen Archfiend. "What the heck is an Archfiend demon?"

"A special breed of monsters." Gallus said, praising the monster on his field with his voice. "She's a beauty, isn't she? Don't worry, she's only the first of many that you'll be smacked around with." Gallus proud posture showed as he stood tall on the floating chunk of rock.

"I don't care what you have." Kiro snapped back, grabbing the top card of his deck. "I'll rip it apart none the less. Draw!" The card in his hand flew through the air until pulled to a sudden stop as his arm was stretched as far as it would go. Pulling it back, Kiro's eyes scanned over the image. Moving quickly, the card found a new home on the white energy platform acting as his dueling field. "Monster card; Gravekeeper Spear Soldier (1500/1000). Come forth in attack mode."

Before Kiro a tan man appeared clad in Egyptian robes. In between the fingers on its right hand it flawlessly twirled around a decorated spear. Snapping it down, he grabbed it with both hands and pointed it towards the demon creature. Narrowing his brow, the monster looked angerly at the Infernalqueen Archfiend.

"Go Spear Soldier. Attack his Infernalqueen Archfiend now. Spear Stab!" Just as Kiro was ordering his attack, Kaira and Chao appeared on a roof nearby. Watching in interests as Kiro's loyal monster took off at a incredible speed. Flying through the air, the monster wielded back its spear, ready to impale the demonness."

Sighing, Gallus shifted so he was pointing down at his set card. "You are a moron. I'd assume by now you'd realize that nothing comes free in these trials. Not a win, nor an easy attack." As the purple bordered card flipped up, it showered the Infernalqueen in a dark purple light. Slowly, a light gray armor appeared on its body. The rock like hide, adorned with many ridged spikes, was sending off a powerful demonic aura.

"What is that!" Kiro asked as he watched his Spear Solder stab at the chest of the now armored monster. Clanking on the hide, the spear tip instantly shattered into tiny metal shards. Being caught in the demonic aura, the Gravekeeper monster wasn't to far behind its weapon as it broke apart seconds later. Once the monster was gone, the Infernalqueen Archfiend appeared as its true self, its new armor gone.

"My trap is known as Sakuretsu Armor. It's a handy little card that destroys an attacking monster." Gallus explained, holding up the said trap card as he pulled it out of his bone hide duel disk. A gash had opened on the opposite side of his arm where he deposited the used trap card. "Can I assume that is your turn?"

"Not in the least you ass." Kiro growled, sliding one card from his hand into his duel disk. "I set one card face down on my field. And next I'll play," pulling a new card from his hand, Kiro held it out towards Gallus, "Dian Keto the Cure Master. She raises my life by 1000 points." Glowing suddenly, the magic card sent colorful rain drops showering over Kiro's body.

Kiro-6000 LP  
Gallus-5000 LP

"Now I end my turn." Kiro said, taking a quick glance down at his life point counter.

"Draw!" Gallus yelled, snapping the top card off his deck. Flipping it over he glanced at its face. Looking up, his eyes met Kiro's. "Infernalqueen Archfiend's effect deals me 500 life points of damage. But also, during any standby phase I may increase the attack of an Archfiend named card by 1000. She is the only one on the field, so I'll give her 1000 extra attack points. (1900/1500)."

Kiro-6000 LP  
Gallus-4500 LP

"Now to summon one of my most deadly creatures. Come forth, Terrorking Archfiend! (2000/1500)" Gallus slapped another card from his hand onto the muscle tissued dueling field. Next to his demon queen, a king began to rise.

The large bone armored demon stood in high authority on the field already. Its red muscle covered its body that wasn't armed with its pale white bone armor. Its eyes glowing blood red beneath a head piece resembling a crown, the king swung a large curved sword through the air. Growling, it glared pleased at Kiro, like a lion looking at fresh meat.

"Here we go, Infernalqueen Archfiend attack Kiro Rinku's life points directly!" Gallus yelled, snapping his arm out so he was pointing at the green haired kid. Opening it's nasty looking jaw, the queen sent out a shrill yell before a massive fire ball burst out. Ripping through the air, the fire burst rushed towards Kiro. Unprepared for the large ball of fire, Kiro's body was thrown backwards with the ferocity of the attack.

Eyes wide, Kaira and Chao watched as Kiro went flying past the edge of the floating chunk of rock. Smoke trailed off Kiro's body as he flew backwards through the air. Reaching out with a sudden jolt, Kiro grabbed the edge of the rock just as he flew past it, bringing him to a sudden stop in the middle of the air. As gravity took over, Kiro found himself hanging off the back side of this rock.

"OUCH!" Kiro yelled, feeling the burning sensation from the fire ball that had crashed into him. Numbness ran through his limbs, threatening to drop him to the ground below. Forcing all of his energy, he reached up with his other arm and grabbed the ledge he hung from. Will all the energy he could muster, he pulled himself slowly upwards until he was finally able to pull himself onto the platform.

Kiro-4100 LP  
Gallus-4500 LP

"Weakling. Can't even stand one attack." Gallus seemed displeased with Kiro crouched over body on the stone opposite from him. Smoke still streamed off his clothing, but nothing seemed to be burned. Pointing to Kiro, Gallus smirked slightly in his amusement. "Well then, Kiro Rinku, feel the sting of this attack. Terrorking Archfiend attack now!" Gallus yelled, sending his king demon flying across the field. Lifting the large, wicked looking sword in both hands, the monster prepared to strike.

Kiro was still crouched on his stone slab, panting heavily. Glaring up from under his bangs, Kiro growled slightly and pressed a button on his wrist gadget. "Open set trap. Rite of Spirit!"

"What?" Gallus's eyes were wide as the purple bordered card flipped up, glowing in a radiant light, and from the card image spitting out the Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier he had destroyed last turn. Crouching down, the monster held the spear across its body to indicate it was brought back in defensive mode. Without even hesitating, the demonic king monster slashed its sword down through the body of the monster.

Kiro shielded his face from his monster exploding with its defeat. Glancing up, Kiro saw through the smoke that the king monster had jumped back to hovering in front of Gallus. Bracing itself on its sword, the monster growled deep in it throat, and a hissing noise came from the queen demon that stood next to him.

"You got lucky boy." Gallus's anger was starting to show through. "I'd like to see you win this duel for the sake of humanity, but you aren't going to have it just handed to you. Come on now, with full force. Come at me!" (Infernalqueen Archfiend 900/1500)

"Fine, draw." Kiro said, snapping the top card off his deck and looking at its face. _"Not bad at all."_ Kiro looked up at the black haired tester. Pushing himself off the ground, he stood up again to face Gallus. _"I won't let him attack me directly again."_ Kiro vowed, slapping the card on his duel disk. "I set one monster face down on the field. This is my turn."

Gallus watched the hologram of Kiro's set monster materialize on the field. Sliding the top card out of the bone deck holder, Gallus looked at it. "During my standby phase." He began to speek without even looking up. "I will increase the attack of Terrorking Archfiends attack by 1000 thanks to my Infernalqueen Archfiend. This time though, I not only take the queens cost of 500, but an additional 800 damage from my king being on my field." (Terrorking Archfiend 3000/1500)

Kiro-4100  
Gallus-3200 LP

"So, why are you using cards that practically kill you off?" Kiro questioned, eyeing the life point totals. Kiro hadn't even done any damage to Gallus yet, and Gallus was already 1800 life points lower than when they had started.

"As long as I have a single life point I am good enough to keep playing." Gallus slid one of the cards out of his hand as he spoke. Holding it up, he said only one word. "Checkmate."

"Checkmate?" Kiro's head tilted to the side as Gallus slid the card into his duel disk.

"Yes, Checkmate. I offer one Archfiend monster on my field and give my Terrorking Archfiend the power to attack you directly this turn." Gallus nodded his head towards his queen. "I offer Infernalqueen Archfiend in order to allow Terrorking Archfiend (3000/1500) to attack you directly on this turn. Checkmate!"

Extending out its long, wicked arm, the monster created a glowing ball of energy in its palm. Growling wickedly, the monster raised his arm so he was pointing the ball of energy at Kiro's still smoking body. With a sudden burst of energy, the ball erupted into a solid burning beam, flying at Kiro at full speed. Ripping around him, Kiro could only brace himself against the violent attack on him.

Kiro-1100 LP  
Gallus-3200 LP

Kiro's body was burning, his cloths letting plumes of smoke drift up from under the wrinkles. Feeling dizzy, he fell to his knees on the floating stone.

"_I can't lose."_ He kept repeating in his head. _"I can't lose. I can't lose."_ Tears almost swelled in his eyes from the pain.

Gallus felt a sense of pride, as well as a sense of disappointment. "I should have guessed you couldn't stand a chance against us. Andron was wrong to think that this is the time to take you on, and I blame the master for allowing him to begin the trials." Pulling a card from his hand, Gallus sliped it into the bone structured duel disk coming out of his arm. "I play the magic card Premature Burial. Costing me 800 life, I bring back from my grave one monster and equip this card to it."

Kiro-1100 LP  
Gallus-2400 LP

In a eruption of flames, the Infernalqueen Archfiend appeared again on the field next to the king demon. Hissing with her return, she glared angerly at Kiro with her blood red eyes. (900/1500).

"But this time I'll sacrifice her to do something different. Summon a monster." Sliding another card from his hand, Gallus slapped it down on the muscled coated platform duel disk in the same spot where the Infernalqueen Archfiend was just revived. "I summon to the field, Skull Archfiend of Lightning (2500/1200)!"

Crashing into existence on Gallus's field, the large demon skull monster appeared roaring in its demonic voice. Dark colored lighting shot from the skeletal structure and dark red muscle tissue of the monster. Around him, an aura form from pure evil energy. Bloodshot eyes glared at Kiro.

"He'll cost me 500 life points at my standby phase so he's no different in cost than my queen." Gallus smirked letting his arms fall to his side. Standing behind the two demonic creatures, he seemed even more scary than he was when Kiro had first met him. "I end my turn Kiro Rinku. Make a comeback now, or give up."

Kiro was standing now, hunched forward and breathing deeply. Fighting back the pain he felt surging up his spine, Kiro drew the top card of his deck. "Gallus, I'm far from done." He choked out. Picking up the card on his duel disk he flipped it over and slapped it back down. "I flip summon my set Gravekeeper's Guard (1000/1900). With his effect I can return a monster on your side of the field to your hand. Say good bye to your Skull Archfiend." Kiro pointed with a weak arm to the skull monster. The set hologram flipped up to reveal a slightly over weight, tan, Egyptian man. In his right hand he held a long pole with a sharp blade at the end. Narrowing his brow on his bald head, the monster began to glow slightly.

"Fool." Gallus said under his breath, but load enough to be heard. Appearing over his head a strange cube shaped of bones appeared. "When an Archfiend monster is targeted its special effect kicks in." Pointing upwards, he pointed to the cube, which had started to spin slowly. Small orbs of fire appeared on the six sides of the floating object. Counting up from one to six orbs on each side, the floating object became a die.

"What special effect?" Kiro's eyes watched the die hovering inches above Gallus's black and red striped hair.

"Archfiends have the power to get out of targeting effects. Like your little Guard tries to do." Gallus pointed to the skull monster, then gestured up to the floating dice. "Skull Archfiend of Lightning's secondary effect kicks in. When he is targeted I roll one die. If I happen to roll a 1, 3, or a 6 than I negate the effect and destroy your monster." As Gallus's voice died out as he finished his sentence, the die above his head began to ferociously spin. It soon burst forward and bounced off the thin air like it was a solid object.

Kiro felt a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek. The die bounced around the air just as if it were on a table top. Finally it slid to a stop at the feet of the tan man. The top of the die had six red orbs of fire on it.

"I've rolled a six." Gallus smirked, fear had washed completely over Kiro's face. The orbs of fire soon erupted into a large pillar of flames, rushing over the Egyptian man. Roaring screams of pain came from inside the large flame tower as the Gravekeeper's Guard was burned alive, leaving nothing when the fire finally died down.

Kiro glanced down towards the cards in his hand. _"One monster, and it was going to be the way I was going to take out the Terrorking Archfiend when I returned the Skull Archfiend of Lighting to his hand. This whole anti-target effect thing makes me really wary to even try this."_ Slowly pulling the card up, he held in his trembling hand.

"Scared?" Gallus's voice cut through Kiro's consciousness, making his blood boil with anger.

"I am not scared, and I'll show you." Kiro growled, slapping the card down onto his duel disk. "I summon Gravekeeper's Assailant (1500/1500) in attack mode!" A bright light was emanated from the card on Kiro's disk, from it, a black robed monster came bursting forth. Covered on all parts of its body but its hands, which in its right it held a long wavy sword.

"Ok..." Gallus looked at the strange new monster before him. Compaired to his two demon monsters by his sides, the new monster seemed like no threat. "What will that do to me?"

"A lot." Kiro held his duel disk up as he spoke. Holding another card in his right hand, he quickly slid it into the side of his dueling plate. "Magic card activate, Necrovalley!" A wave of energy rushed up around the two duelists. From the thin air around them, large stone walls began to materialize, stretching high above the two of them. A strange fog drifted down the valley, giving it a eerie feeling of death.

"Finally." Gallus said under his breath, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Gravekeeper's Assailant (2000/2000), attack Skull Archfiend of Lightning now! Assailant Blade!" Kiro ordered, sending his monster bursting off his field toward the said monster. Wielding its blade back, it prepared to strike the monster. Time seemed to move in slow-motion as the monster flew towards its target.

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Kiro now faces Gallus, the tester of the Pure White Moon. Can Kiro's Gravekeeper's stand up to Gallus's Archfiends? Keep your eyes on the lookout for my next update people. Happy Holidays everyone. (Kind of a creepy duel to post at the holidays, neh?)  
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	24. Try, Try and Die Again

Chapter 24: Try, Try and Die Again

The Gravekeeper's Assailant flew towards the Skull Archfiend of Lightning, holding its sword back to its side and preparing to strike out. Around the blade, a navy blue aura began to form, bursting forward so it was around the skull monster as well.

"Gravekeeper's Assailants effect kicks in." Kiro said, a slight waver to his confident voice. "When it attacks while Necrovalley is face up on the field, it can change the battle mode of the monster it attacks."

"But," Gallus pointed over his head. Materializing again, the bone die appeared with the glowing balls of fire for the numbers. "Your effect targets my monster, and if you remember correctly, if I can roll a 1, 3, or a 6 your monster is as good as toast." The rapid approaching of the assailant slowed down as the die burst forward and began to roll it self.

Bouncing off the ground of the valley surrounding the two of them, the die finally came to a total stop. Kiro took a deep breath as he saw the result of the roll. On the top of the die, two glowing orbs of fire shown. Fading away, the die disappeared into the fog around the and the attacking monster sped up again.

"_Lucky!"_ Kiro was filled with a hyperactive-panic as he had just pulled that off. He watched as the skull monster fell down to its knees before it was sliced through by the curved blade of Kiro's monster. With only 1200 defense points, the monster was easily destroyed, exploding into tiny data bits. The Assailant hopped back to Kiro's field, where it took up a battle pose, ready for the next round.

Gallus was staring into his Skull Archfiend of Lightning card, smiling a bit with pleasure he looked up at Kiro while he deposited the card into his graveyard slot on the back of his arm. "Very good. About time you started playing the game. Very few people get past my monster like that."

"Good for me then." Kiro growled, still not very impressed with Gallus's annoying attitute. Grabbing a card from his hand, he slid it behind his Assailant. "I set one card face down on my field and call it quits for my turn."

"My move then." Gallus said, sliding the top card from his deck and holding it up. He smiled to see the green bordered card with the title; Pot of Greed. Moving quickly he whipped the card out as far as his arm would take it. "First, Terrorking Archfiend costs me 800 life points."

Kiro-1100 LP  
Gallus-1600 LP

"Second, I play this." Gallus moved the card into a slot on his duel disk. Glowing slightly, Gallus yelled out its name. "Pot of Greed!" Quickly moving, he slid the top two card from hid deck and held them up. "Letting me draw two cards from my deck, Pot of Greed can come in very handy."

"I know." Kiro blandly stated.

"Well, ok then." Gallus seemed a bit hurt at Kiro's reaction to the card. Sliding his two new cards into his already growing hand of cards, he looked over the four of them. "I guess I need to kick my game up if your going to attempt to make moves like that. Here you go, magic card activate. Terraforming!" Pulling his deck out, Gallus fanned it out with one hand and began to look through it. "Terraforming lets me pull a field magic card from my deck to my hand, and I know just what one I need."

"And what one is that?" Kiro's eyes widened as he pulled one card from the middle of his deck out and slid it into his hand. A silence fell between the two of them as Gallus shuffled his deck back together. Sliding it into the bone deck holder above his wrist, he finally brought his attention back to Kiro. Pulling out the card he had just diligently searched for, he flipped it over before sliding it into the side of the duel disk jutting from his arm.

"The field magic card, Pandemonium!" Gallus roared out as the stone cut walls around them shattered like a rock hitting a pane of glass. Rising up to take the place of the valley, gruesome looking bones forming large, ridged pillars that towered over them. A bile green floor appeared between Kiro and Gallus, littered with bones of creatures unrecognizable.

The Terrorking Archfiend roared, happy to be at home in his own domain. The Gravekeeper's Assailant started to shudder on the other hand, taken out of its own home (1500/1500).

"Terrorking Archfiend, destroy that thing now!" Gallus roared, snapping his arm out so he was pointing at the black robed Egyptian warrior. Groaning in anger, the demon raised his blue colored, curved sword high in the air. In a show of pure agility, the monster burst forward, slashing the curved blade right down the center of Kiro's monster. Screaming in pain, the monster finally broke into small data bits.

Kiro-600 LP  
Gallus-1600 LP

Kiro felt the small particles crashing into his skin. Like small pebbles thrown by a young kid at him. Shielding his face, Kiro waited until he could no longer feel or hear the pieces crashing around him.

"I've gone far to easy on you." Gallus slid one of the three cards out of his hand. "I set one card face down on the field and end my turn." A ripple of yellow light appeared on the field, followed closely by the brown backed rectangular card. "What will you attempt to do this turn I wonder."

"I'll kick your ass, that is what I'll do. Draw!" Kiro snapped the top card off his deck and whirled it around so it was right in his face. "Here we go, magic card activate! Card of Demise." Snapping his wrist around, he showed the face of the green bordered card to Gallus. Sliding the card into the white platform next to his set card, Kiro proceeded to snap four cards off his deck and add it to the one card in his hand.

"Interesting. Card of Demise lets you draw until you hold five cards in your hand." Gallus said, reciting what he remembered of the card. The edge of his mouth soon curled into a twisted smile and a sick look appeared in his eye. "But in five turns you'll be losing your entire hand."

"You think I don't know how my card works?" Kiro angerly growled as he held up the full hand of cards he now held. Grabbing one of the cards he slapped it onto his field. "I set one monster in face down defensive mode. That concludes my turn."

"Bringing it around to me." Gallus smiled wide, but not without its evil twinge to it. Pulling the next card off his deck he quickly deposited it into his hand. Holding up he duel disk, he looked like he was ready to call the next attack of his monster.

"Wait a second here." Kiro interrupted before Gallus could speak a single word. Lifting his left arm high in the air, he pointed straight at the demon king still sitting on Gallus's field. "For the past couple of turns, that thing has been eating away your life. Why not this turn?"

"Because you fool." Gallus lifted both of his arms as if praising the surrounding area. "My magical realm, Pandemonium. With this on the field, my Archfiends are more at home than ever before, so no life point cost for each turn is required to sustain their existence." Letting his arms flop down to his side, he tilted his head down and slightly laughed in his own amusement. Opening his eyes, Gallus stared at Kiro from the top of his eye balls, glaring from under his brow. "Terrorking Archfiend. Attack!"

Groaning again as the demon monster hefted the heavy sword high above his shoulder, he began to advance on the set card laying face down on Kiro's field. Heaving the large sword downwards, the Terrorking Archfiend slashed through the defensive monsters' card, creating a ripple of light blasting through the air.

"My king negates all effects of effect monsters he destroys in battle." Gallus continued, lifting his head to see what monster he'd just wiped out. Shocked he saw a strange egyptain warrior pushing the sword back in a bubble of navy blue light coming off of its cupped palms. White symbols ran through the bubble of reflective magic that sent the demon king monster flying back to his own field.

"You hit my set monster known as Gravekeeper's Spy (1200/2000), this monster" Kiro pulled out his deck of cards as he spoke, "lets me pull a monster from my deck that includes 'Gravekeeper's' in its card name that has 1500 or less attack points. I get to summon this monster then to the field."

Fanning the deck out in his hand, Kiro began to search through card faces and titles until he came to the monster he was searching for. Slowly, he slid the card from its spot in the middle of the deck of cards. Quickly he whipped the card through the air, landing it horizontally on the white dueling field next to his spy monster.

"Gravekeeper's Curse (800/800)." Kiro called out as the black robed Egyptian man holding a Shepard's cane like staff in both hands, appeared crouching over his own card turned sideways on his field. "When this monster is summoned, he'll deal you 500 points in damage." Kiro was shuffling his deck back together as he spoke. Sliding it back into the deck holder, he watched as the monster sent a stream of toxic green smoke hurdling across the field towards Gallus. Surrounding him, the smoke threaten to choke him out.

Kiro-600 LP  
Gallus-1100 LP

"Interesting. Well, I'm done for this turn then." Gallus said as his monster floated along side him, standing on the 'floor' produced by the Pandemonium card around them.

"Draw!" Kiro announced, snapping the top card off his deck and sliding it into his hand. Holding up the cards he now held, he scanned over them all. It wasn't the best hand he'd ever had to work with in a tight spot, but he was about going to have to make due. "I sacrifice my Gravekeeper's Curse in order to summon to my field my Gravekeeper's Chief! (1900/1200)"

Fading from its crouching spot on Kiro's field, the newly summoned monster became the newly announced monster. White robes lined in black and gold ran down the body of the new monster. In his hands he held a serpent shaped staff, long and shining in the light of the pure white spherical moon,now directly above the battle. Next to the newly summoned Chief of the Gravekeeper's, a black robed assassin appeared agin on the field, holding its long wavy sword.

"Gravekeeper's Chief's special ability lets me summon one monster from my graveyard that includes 'Gravekeeper's' in its card name." Kiro explained, pointing out the newly summoned monster. "I chose to bring back Gravekeeper's Assailant (1500/1500)."

"So?" Gallus questioned, cocking an eyebrow. "Your summoning an arsenal of weak monsters to stand up against my mighty demon deck?" Shrugging with lack of impression, Gallus just gave a chortle at how much of a waste of time that had been. "I'll give that you did erect a wall of monsters against me so I can't get right to your life points. To bad it won't do you a lick of good."

"Take a hint Eienstein." Kiro growled, pointing to his face down card. "I'm not going to be defending from you, I'm on the offensive and you're going down. Open set trap; Windstorm of Etaqua!"

"Windstorm of what?" Gallus's eyes were wide with surprise and focused on the purple bordered card that was flipped up, facing him on Kiro's field. The card it self was glowing, shining as it began to activate. Sending a burst of wind out towards his Terrorking Archfiend. _"Cleaver move, Windstorm of Etaqua flips my monster to defensive mode, that way he could kill it."_ Gallus thought to himself as he watched his monster crash down to his knees in the violent windstorm.

"Gravekeeper's Chief, attack and destroy his king now!" Kiro yelled with pride as the said monster charged across the field in a glorious show of speed and strength. Thrusting his staff outwards, the monster put it clear through the chest cavity of the monster. A ripping of muscles and a cracking of bones echoed soon afterwards as the staff was withdrawn from the hole it made.

"Gallant effort Kiro Rinku, but..." Gallus was again smiling as he held up a card from his hand. With a flick of his wrist he turned the card over, facing Kiro. "I can use the ability of my Desrook Archfiend (1100/1800) to special summon back my Terrorking because it was destroyed." A vile flat topped demon monster appeared for an instant on the field before Gallus before fading into the demonic king again with the large, blue, curved sword in hand. "But wait, that's not all." Pointing to his set card, Gallus initiated its activation.

Flipping up, the card was a continuous trap card. A picture of a woman standing in the rain was upon its face, and began to slightly glow. The trap cards title read 'Solemn Wishes'.

"My trap, Solemn Wishes, will restore my life points by 500 for each card I draw from the top of my deck. This is actually almost a waste of space, but a cushion never hurts." Gallus than nodded for Kiro to continue his turn. Instead, he watch Kiro glaring at him.

"Why do you waste you life points to your monsters? You've been reckless with them and now your trying to make them up." Kiro growled, pointing to the activated trap. "What is that then? You're saving yourself and opting away from your monsters."

"Not quite you fool." Gallus was growing suddenly angry with Kiro. "My monsters' feed on my life, as long as I'm alive, they can be strong. Since I control the power of their own domain on my side of the field, I don't have to use so much of my life energy to sustain them. Now is the time to recover and grow strong again. I am helping myself, so I can give so willingly to my monsters. You on the other hand give nothing to your monsters. You send them to battle to die each time. Never once helping them."

"That's...that is...not true." Kiro's eyes were shaking, twitching in an unexplainable fear running through him.

"Cold and selfish. Cursing your monsters to die for you, not both of you sharing the same goals. Which is why," Gallus slipped the top card off his deck as he talked, taking it as his turn. "Your failing so poorly to defeat me. Terrorking Archfiend, attack his Assailant now!"

Raising its curved sword high in the air, the monster soon found itself plummeting downwards onto the black robed monster. Whipping its sword down through the air, the monster proceeded to slice right through the middle of the monster.

Kiro-100 LP  
Gallus-1600 LP

Kiro fell to his knees, bits of rock hard data smashing into his skin like before. This time though, he made no attempt to even protect his body from the onslaught.

"Kiro!" Kaira yelled from the rooftop where her and Chao had remained totally silent through the whole duel. Panic rushing through her sandy brown eyes, the blond haired girl rushed to the edge of the roof and leaned out onto a ledge that came up like a guard rail.

Although it was loud enough for people two blocks over to hear, Kiro seemed not to even hear Kaira's voice screaming his name.

_("Kiro?")_ Hebanu's voice rang from inside Kiro's skull. _("Kiro, are you going to be ok?")_ No answer came from the boy he was addressing.

_("Human?")_ Heruru asked out, actually sounding concerned about the boy he shared a body with. No answer.

Kiro could hear it all, but he was choosing to ignore everything. His eyes were locked on the white wrist gadget resting on his arm. The numbers in the black rectangular display screen read: 100 LP.

What could he do? Gallus made a good point to him and Kiro realized in that moment how selfish he did seem at times. Always wanting to get things his way, and just slapping out the cards in his deck simply to win and pass these trials.

His life was also in deep jeopardy, he was one attack away from getting killed. Life seemed so valuable to him in that moment, even thought he hadn't lived the proudest life. His angry and secluded nature made him miss out on a real childhood. But he still had lived, and was about to achieve the only goal he had ever fought for in his life. He was running the trials that would set him free from the imposers in his body.

"Are you even going to try and defend yourslef? Or am I to assume it is my turn again?" Gallus's voice came crashing through Kiro's thoughts like a wrecking ball through a brick wall. Kiro lifted his head up and shook it from side to side. His eyes seemed a bit absent, but he still managed to pull the top card off his deck. There in his hand sat himself, for a lack of better words. Gravekeeper Kiro seemed so warm to the touch, pleasant in his right hand, even through the leather glove.

"_I could play this card, bringing back Necrovalley and strengthening my two monsters, which would surely finish the game."_ Kiro thoughts were doubtful though, something running through his blood told him that wasn't how this was going to end.

"_What could he be thinking about?"_ Gallus's angered thought boiled as he watched Kiro staring at the one card he had drawn. Looking down, he felt his anger subside slightly. _"Either way, I can hold off his assault, any assault he might bring up. I hold a second Desrook and am willing to use it to cushion the fall of my king."_

"Here is what I will do." Kiro said, adding the card that resembled him into his hand. Grabbing another card from his hand he slid it into his duel disk. "I play Necrovalley's Lock and Key! A magic card that only works when I have Gravekeeper's Chief face up on the field."

In front of his Chief monster, a large iron lock appeared. Egyptian hieroglyphs scratched into its rusty black surface. Sticking out from the key hole, a large gold, gem decorated key rested. Reaching out, the Gravekeeper's Chief slowly turned it, unlocking the pad lock with a loud click. From the unhooked hinge, golden streams of light burst off.

"From Necrovally's Lock and Key I get to special summon three monsters from my graveyard. Gravekeeper's Guard (1000/1900), Gravekeeper's Assailant (1500/1500), and Gravekeeper's Curse (800/800). All three in defensive mode. And since Curse came back, you're going to lose 500 life points." Appearing again over their horizontal cards, the said monsters appeared next to the two monsters already adorning Kiro's field. Reachign down, Kiro moved his Gravekeeper's Chief card horizontal as well, shifting it into defensive mode. "I end my turn."

Kiro-100 LP  
Gallus-1100 LP

"Fine then, draw." Gallus said, snapping the top card off his deck only to be showered in a light rain produced by his trap card.

Kiro-100 LP  
Gallus-1600 LP

"Well, time to do some more damage to you. Kiro Rinku, you can put up a gallant fight, but," Looking directly into Kiro's red eyes from across the field. Waves of fear and hate seemed to cross the gap in seconds. "You cannot match my power. I must do as destiny is allowing and destroy you. I am sorry."

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And my next update. Hope you all enjoyed this, I know that I am enjoying the time I am actually getting to write it. I missed working on it so much.

I want to wish all my readers Happy Holidays and my thanks for comeing back time and again to read my fics. You are the best guys and girls. Anytime any of you want to drop me a reveiw, feel free. I love to hear from you, it makes it all the more worthwhile to post chapters. Have a safe time this holiday, whatever you celebrate. Keep well, and have a nice day!  
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	25. Show Me What You Offer!

Chapter 25: Show Me What You Offer!

Gallus stood proudly, holding up a card he pulled out of his hand. His gaze thought looked of disappointment. His mighty Terrorking Archfiend towered over the five monsters Kiro had set up to oppose him.

"Well Kiro Rinku." Gallus moved the card he was holding so it would slid into the bone structure of the duel disk protruding from his arm. "I had hopped you were going to be the one that finally could release the spirits into the world. I guess we were wrong. I play Graceful Charity. This lets me draw three cards, then discard two of them."

"Wait!" Kiro's hand snapped up, pulling a card from the middle of the cards he was holding. Snapping it up, he showed the face of it to Gallus. "That is a nice try, but I have a monster known as Gravekeeper's Watcher (1000/1000)."

"What does that do?" Gallus asked, watching a pale blue light shoot out from the card and across the field. Crashing into his magic card, it made it feel cold and lifeless in his hand.

"By discarding Gravekeeper's Watcher from my hand I can negate the activation of a card that will make you discard cards from your hand." Kiro explained, sliding the said monster card into his graveyard. "Since you'd discard cards with it, Gravekeeper's Watcher can negate it."

"I see." Gallus said, moving the card into the back of his arm were his graveyard slot was. Looking up, he seemed a bit pleased. Anger still trickled down his eyes, but a small smile did appeared on his lips. _"At least he still has some fight in him." _

"Kiro did good stopping Graceful Charity." Chao observed from his spot on the roof looking over the duel. "Who knows what Gallus could have pulled with it."

"Does he still have a chance to win?" Kaira questioned, looking worried at Chao. All Chao could do was shrug. Looking down at her hands, Kaira clenched them into a tight fist before looking back up at the green haired boy. "Come on Kiro." She whispered under her breath.

"Terrorking Archfiend, attack his Gravekeeper's Chief now!" Gallus roared, sending his mighty king rushing towards the white robed leader of the Gravekeeper clan. Lifting its sword again, the monster cut the Chief in two like it had so many other monsters before him.

Picking up the card, Kiro slid it into his removed-from-play slot on his white wrist band. Looking up, he watched the deadly monster floating slowly down in front of Gallus. Growling, Kiro had a running hate of this monster. It had stopped him at every turn, destroyed his most powerful monsters', and the damn thing wouldn't die.

"Ok, I end my turn." Gallus grumbled out. Smiling a bit when he saw all but Gravekeeper's Spy vanishing from Kiro's field.

"During your end phase, Necrovalley's Lock and Key sends all specially summoned monsters on my field to the removed-from-play pile." Kiro explained, reaching for his deck. "But during my standby phase I get to special summon one of those monsters to my field. My turn, draw."

Sliding the card off his deck, he looked at its face. Smiling slightly, he saw a very powerful card.

"_Secret Spirit Guard-Heruru. With this card, I could do some major damage to him."_ Kiro thought before grabbing the small pile ejected from his wrist gadget. Fanning out the cards, he decided which one he wanted. "During my standby phase I special summon Gravekeeper's Curse!"

Kiro-100 LP  
Gallus-1100 LP

"_Dammit! He's just trying to burn me down." _Gallus growled watching the curse monster appearing again. With its effect it had just burned through another chunk of his life points.

"I sacrifice my Gravekeeper's Curse in order to summon forth, Secret Spirit Guard-Heruru (2400/1800)." Fading into a beam of black cored light, the Egyptain clad warrior soon became a tall, muscular build monster. His facial designs matched that of Kiro, except the eyes which were two black orbs rammed into the eye sockets. On top of his head was a mat of raven black hair that was wild and untamed, just like Kiro's looked right now. He was adorned with a black robe that covered his body. On the back, a trio of circles sat in the colors of the three demon spirits; black, gray, and blue.

Gallus just laughed. Shrugging slightly, he turned to the side, not worried about the new monster. "So what?" He asked without even looking at Kiro. "Since you didn't sacrifice Gravekeeper Kiro for him, you don't get that effect. And whatever effect he gains with Necrovalley about on the field also is unusable."

"Do you have a point?" Kiro cocked an eyebrow. "I'm using his raw power. Attack his king now!" Kiro demanded, pointing to the heinous monster. Cracking its knuckles, the card version of Heruru began its violent charge across the field towards the demon king. In a finial lunge, Heruru put his fist through the chest of the king demon, causing it to explode into data fragments.

Kiro-100 LP  
Gallus-700 LP

"No you don't!" Gallus roared, sliding a card out of his hand and quickly inserting it into his graveyard slot. "Desrook Archfiend (1100/1800) saves my Terrorking Archfiend, just like the last one did." Gallus explained as his monster once again appeared on the field. Growling in displeasure of being destroyed, its eyes burned with revenge against the Heruru based monster.

"I have to end my turn by setting this card face down." Kiro said, sliding one of the three cards in his hand into the white duel palate. Appearing vertically behind his two monsters.

"My turn. Draw!" Gallus yelled, snapping the top card from his deck and holding it far out to his side. Smiling slightly, he felt the soft rain of his card showering down from the heavens upon his body.

Kiro-100 LP  
Gallus-1200 LP

"Time for this." Gallus said, sliding the newly drawn card into his hand of cards. Moving his fingers over the top of three he held, he seemed to be pondering if this was the best time to play them. Nodding slightly to himself, he pulled one of the other cards out and slid it into the bone structure protruding from his arm. "Magic card, Falling Down!"

"Falling...Down?" Kiro was more than a little confused. The confused state seemed to become worse when his Secret Spirit Guard-Heruru suddenly began to float across the field. Turning around, it now faced Kiro, anger burning in its face.

"Falling Down is a magic card that only works if I have an Archfiend card on my side of the field." Gallus swayed his arm out towards his Terrorking Archfiend. "I then get to take control of a monster on your side of the field. For this, I'll take 800 points of damage during your standby phases, or...I would."

Kiro stood waiting for Gallus to finish his sentence. When it became obvious he wanted Kiro to ask the most obvious question, he sighed before forming the words. "But what?"

"But you won't last past this turn!" Gallus roared with laughter, pointing to Kiro's Gravekeeper Spy. "Secret Spirit Guard-Heruru, attack Gravekeeper's Spy now!"

Growling in anticipation of battle, the Heruru spirit monster flew across the field. Reaching its former ally, the monster quickly reached to put its fist through it just like it had done to the Terrorking Archfiend not but the turn before.

"Go!" Kiro screamed, stretching his hand out to the set card on his field. Flipping up, Kiro felt a wave of relief flow through his body. The fist stopped, mid-air against a clear barrier. That barrier soon began to spin in a vortex fashion, blowing the monster back to Gallus's field. "Trap card; Negate Attack! This stops all attacks for this turn. So, I'm safe from your attack and I still am in this game." Kiro explained, flashing the said trap card before adding it to his removed from play pile.

"Lucky." Gallus spat out, looking down at his hand before he made his finial call. "I end my move there then."

"About freaking time." Kiro grunted, blood flowing through his veins like mad. Drawing a card, he looked blankly at its face. _"Let see, what could I possibly do to him. This card is helpful, maybe latter though. But wait..." _Kiro thought as he heard a noise, indicating that Gallus's life points were dropping again.

Kiro-100 LP  
Gallus-400 LP

"_It has been four turns since I played Card of Demise."_ Kiro looked down at his hand of three cards. _"I almost forgot. Next turn I will have to send all of my hand to the grave." _Looking up, it had come to his standby phase. He now got to special summon a monster from his grave. His opponent set at 400 life and the first monster that came to his mind was Gravekeeper's Curse.

If he were to summon Curse, Gallus would lose 500 life and the duel would come to an end. It is a tactic he had never hesitated to use in the past to completely finish the game. The opponent would have absolutely no way to counter such a move.

This time though, he hesitated. He felt a strange pulling at his heart. Something felt weird to him, a new feeling he couldn't describe. He felt that not only did he have to beat Gallus, but he had to prove to him that he was just as good as anyone. Kiro's pride taking over, he pulled a card out of the stack of cards and slapped it down on his duel disk.

"I special summon Gravekeeper's Guard (1000/1900) in face up defense mode for the effect of Necrovalley's Lock and Key." Kiro said, rather monotone this time. "Gallus, I will show you this turn that I am more than just some body. I am the one who is meant to release these spirits into the world again, and I'll start," Kiro held one of the cards in his hand high in the air above his head, "by defeating you."

"Then by all means, show me what you offer to your monsters to allow them to beat me." Gallus proudly encouraged Kiro to show him his best. Waiting patiently for Kiro to finish his move, Gallus felt a wave of happiness sweep over his body.

"I offer myself to the fight. Gravekeeper Kiro (1800/1100)!" Kiro let the card he was holding be whipped down onto the solid light dueling plate. Sparks began to flow off of the card as the monster appeared before Kiro.

It was now that Kiro felt something new. Since he first started these trials he had felt a strong spiritual connection to his monsters, but this time felt different. His vision seem to split, half of it was his own vision looking out over his field and at Gallus, the other half was that of his very own monster. He could feel the normal emotions he was used to feeling while dueling, but also the instinct of his monster. The will of battle, the thrill of the fight.

Kiro was a little more than stunned. For once, he felt what his monsters felt. He had become himself in card form. Although divided, Kiro still could feel the different control of each body. Raising his head, he looked down at the back of himself in monster form, where as he crouched down as his monster, preparing for the battle.

"Gravekeeper Kiro lets me pull Necrovalley from anywhere and play it on the field." Kiro explained, pulling the pile of cards that was ejected from his graveyard out and fanning them out in his hand.

All around them, the demonic arena vanished. Replaced quickly by the large stone walls that felt so much like home to Kiro as well as Kiro's new mind set as his monster. He now felt the rush of power surging through his body.

(Gravekeeper Kiro 2300/1600)(Gravekeeper's Spy 1700/2500)(Gravekeeper's Guard 1500/2400)

"Gravekeeper Kiro, attack Terrorking Archfiend now!" Kiro bellowed, as well as began to pump the legs of his monster. Propelling himself forward, Kiro eased his arm back, sending his fist bursting forward into the face of the hissing behemoth.

It was a new feeling to him, calling his own attack and acting it out in two different bodies. Not only that, but he wanted more than anything to punch that damn beast in the face.

"Gravekeeper Kiro deals you an additional 200 points of damage for every monster that includes Gravekeeper in their name on my field. So not only do you lose 300, but an additional 600 is added to that. You lose Gallus." Kiro commented, felling the pressure of the monster exploding under the right fist of his monster self.

As all the dueling monsters disappeared from the feild, so did the strange sensation Kiro felt with his monster. He now felt like his soul had been snapped fully back into his human body. Kiro didn't know whether to feel sick and dizzy, or relieve that his mind wasn't divided anymore.

Kiro-100 LP  
Gallus-0 LP

"Kiro Rinku." Gallus began, sinking to his knees on the floating stone slab. "You passed the test of the Pure White Moon, but only just barley. The tests will only keep getting harder and harder each time." Gallus had to stop, he looked to be very weak all of a sudden.

Kiro felt the stone slab below him begin to slowly sink towards the ground. Although this sinking startled him at first, he remained starting at the tester who was kneeling on the stone slab he was on.

"Kiro Rinku, the next test you must face will be the test of the Warm Orange Moon. You must be prepared. I was only the fourth. Six more tests await you. You must increase you power if you hope to survive to see another sunrise." With the finial words escaping from his lips, Gallus fainted on the slab.

With one swift movement, the stone chunk tilted vertical in the air, dropping the limp body to the ground below. Shifting back to being horizontal, the stone slab then let gravity take over for it as well, slamming down on top of Gallus's body.

Kiro just watched, awestruck as well as sickened from the nasty sight he just witnessed. His stone slab fit back into place in the street, the cracks disappearing into the stone surface as if they had never been broken.

Kaira and Chao came out of the building that they had occupied the roof of for the duel. Slowly, they walked towards the statue like form of Kiro. He stood, just staring down the street with his glossed over eyes.

* * *

The robed figures watched with interest as Gallus's lime green fire flickered slightly then extinguished itself. Smoke filling the inside of the orb on the stone pillar. The side of the room was suddenly becoming darker, only six of the ten green fires burned. 

"Gallus has lost, just as Andron, Salacia, and Iah before him." One of the robed figures spoke. His voice was higher pitched but carried a dark under tone to it.

"Yes he has." The robed figure, identified as Hachiro, nodded. "Making it my test next. But I wonder, if Kiro suffered so much in his duel with Gallus, does he stand a chance against me?"

"I think that he stands a far better chance than when he first faced Andron." Liat commented from under her robe. She was leaning against her stone pillar and looking around the dwindaling group of figures. Compaired to the other robed figures in the room, Liat was still the smallest and had the most child like voice."What do you think Nori?" She looked over at the robed figure that had just spoken.

"I think he has shown far more potential than I originally gave him credit for. If he can manage to beat Hachiro he'll be half way done with the trials. I think he might just be the one."

"Only time can tell." The figure in the center interrupted. Raising their arms so that they were outstretched to the side, they began to spin their body around clockwise. Their pace was slow and steady. "Kiro Rinku, will you be the one fate selected to give the spirits birth into the world again?"

* * *

Katana and Deo stood at a large window looking out at the black sky, enlightened by the light of the moon which was now fading back to its original color. Deo had a very serious look on his face for a second before turning his head and looking up at Katana. 

"He won didn't he?" He asked, getting a hesitant nod from her.

"I think so."

"What if he didn't?"

"I guess we'll find out soon enough." She hadn't taken her eyes off of the moon that sat above the city. _" Demons being released. Is this a gift like Kiro sees it, or a curse on humanity? There must be some reason that this is happening, but is it a good or bad reason for man kind?"_

Deo, noticing that Katana was deep in thought, stopped asking questions. Turning he walked away from the window and stretched out on the floor where he had slept the night before. Curling up, he rolled on his side. He focused his eye on the leg of the couch that Kaira had laid on.

Soon his thoughts were on the lines and designs carved into the wooden leg. Tracing them with his eyes to keep his mind distracted. Still though, he had to mutter under his breath so that only he could hear: "Kiro..."

Katana stood at the window for a long while before turning and trudging into another room. In the doorway she glanced over to see Deo was curled up on th floor. Assuming he was asleep, she moved into the next room. At the far end of the room, she pushed open a swinging door into a white kitchen area.

Michi and Izumi were talking, each sitting in a chair on the opposite sides of a small, round, white table. They both stopped talking and looked up when Katana entered the room. Looking up at her, the entire group remained silent until Katana set down at the table with the girls.

"What happened, do you know?" Izumi asked, eager to find out the result.

"I don't know yet." Katana replied, her head bowed towards the table. "But I want to find out."

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Crazy how everything came out. Gallus lost, but Kiro had to do it by proving something to him. But what will happen next? Keep your eyes peeled for my next update!

Hey everyone. Happy New Years! This is my last update of this year, so next time you be hearing from me is next year. Have a nice day!  
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	26. Day to Remember Battles

Chapter 26: Day to Remember Battles

The sun began to peek its way over the horizon, spreading its warm rays of light drifting over the cold morning. Over the dark concrete, the mornings light began to illuminate everything. These rays of light made it to a stone bridge with a small channel of water running under it. On each side was a stone walkway.

The warm rays shined down on Kiro's face. Opening his eyes slowly and almost painfully he looked out at the morning. His head felt strangely heavy and all he really wanted was to go back to sleep.

"_These late nights and lack of sleep are killing me."_ He groaned to himself before letting his head rest back against the wall he was sitting against. Closing his eyes again he felt himself drifting back off to sleep.

_("Kiro...you know you can't sleep now. You have to get to school")_ A voice in his head said, followed by its own yawn.

"_Shove it Hebanu"_ Was the only response Kiro gave. Soon he found himself again under the control of his own sleep.

Lying on the floor next to Kiro, Kaira was still fast asleep as well. Against the wall next to her, Chao was snoring rather loudly.

The hours crept by and none of them stirred even in the slightest. The sun was high in the sky before Chao finally opened his own eyes and stretched out where he lay on the floor. Sitting up he took a long look around to wake up. Pushing himself to his feet he turned to see Kiro and Kaira still sleeping.

"Lazy bums." Chao mockingly spoke as he moved over to Kaira. Bending down he started to shake her shoulder gently. Whispering gently he spoke to her. "Kaira, time to wake up."

Slowly rolling over, Kaira looked up at Chao. Smiling a bit, she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Looking around, then rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands to try and wipe away the sleepiness.

"Where are we?" She questioned.

"Under that bridge still. We've slept for quite some time." Chao replied, moving over to Kiro. Smirking a bit, he lifted his foot and placed it on Kiro's shoulder. Pushing slightly, he made Kiro's body fall over to the side. Taking a deep breath, he practically yelled. "Time to get up!"

Kiro awoke in a start, grabbing Chao leg and pulling it out from under him. Chao collapse hardon the concrete walkway with a 'thud'. A gasp escaped his lips as the air was forced out of his lungs.

"Don't do that _ever_ again." Kiro growled, on his feet nowand walking out from under the bridge as he spoke. Kaira jogged after him, although it was painful with her side, as Chao slowly rolled over to pull himself back to his feet.

"That was uncalled for." Kaira simply said, now just a few short paces behind Kiro. She didn't even sound angry at him.

"You have a point?" He questioned, also not sounding in any way mad. Looking slightly over his shoulder, he saw Chao jogging up behind them. Turning his head so he was facing forward down the walkway by the running water. "I'm going back up to the mountain today. Screw school, we'd be far to late anyways."

"True." Chao said, still sounding a bit winded from the hard fall.

* * *

Walking in silence for a few blocks, the group felt an uneasy silence that seemed to be wrapped around them. Kiro was staring down at the sidewalk as he walked. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get that conversation with Gallus out of his mind. 

_/Flashback/_

_/"Why do you waste you life points to your monsters? You've been reckless with them and now your trying to make them up." Kiro growled, pointing to the activated trap. "What is that then? You're saving yourself and opting away from your monsters."_

"_Not quite you fool." Gallus was growing suddenly angry with Kiro. "My monsters feed on my life, as long as I'm alive, they can be strong. Since I control the power of their own domain on my side of the field, I don't have to use so much of my life energy to sustain them. Now is the time to recover and grow strong again. I am helping myself, so I can give so willingly to my monsters. You on the other hand give nothing to your monsters. You send them to battle to die each time. Never once helping them." _

"_That's...that is...not true." Kiro's eyes were shaking, twitching in an unexplainable fear running through him. _

"_Cold and selfish. Cursing your monsters to die for you, not both of you sharing the same goals. Which is why," Gallus slipped the top card off his deck as he talked, taking it as his turn. "Your failing so poorly to defeat me."/_

_/End Flashback/_

"_Do I really not stand a chance against them cause I don't care about my monsters?"_ Kiro's mind was racing, he wasn't sure how he could do what Gallus did. His monsters don't require any kind of payment like Gallus's cards did, so how then?

_("I don't even know what to tell you, Kiro.")_ Were the words that Kooru replied to Kiro's thoughts. Both Heruru and Hebanu just shrugged.

Trudging along, Kiro brought his head up only when a strange flash of lights off to his left side caught his attention. Posted in a store window was a poster filled with colorful duel monster cards. Rare, powerful, useful cards were displayed.

Looking down the building, Kiro finally saw the door to the establishment. In white letters pained on the front door it read 'Crossroad Card Shop' with a sign handing below it that read 'Yes, we are open'.

"Hey." Chao's excited voice came from behind Kiro. "I hadn't even noticed that we were this close to the card store." Chao was acting almost like a young kid standing next to a candy store. He bounced from one foot to the other and back again.

"They sell cards here?" Kiro asked rather abruptly, making Chao stop and look at him.

"Yes they do, great prices too." Chao advertised.

"I think it is time for us to stop in there." Kiro pulled his deck of cards from his pocket. "I think I need something a bit more for my deck. I am not sure if I completely understand what Gallus said to me, but I do understand I need to be closer to my cards."

"Gallus really shook you up, didn't he?" Kaira asked, getting a really quick nod from the green haired kid. With a silent agreement, the trio walked into the store.

A bell handing over the door rang as it shook back and forth. The store was large and rectangular. Four long tables sat, two on each side, of a light gray colored square off area in the middle of the shop. In the far back of the store, a series of glass counters made one large table where a boy stood leaning over a magazine.

His head shot up when he heard the bell ring. His brown hair was short and rather curly on his head. He was built wider out and had a bigger gut than a normal person, wearing a plain white shirt with some line design on the front. He pushed up his glasses on his face, behind which his brown eyes looked over the three kids. With a smile crossing his face, he stood straight up.

"Hey Chao!" He waved, motioning them to come over. "Long time no see dude, what's up?"

"Not much, man." Chao said as he made it to the glass counter. Inside were rows of set up Duel Monster cards on display. Leaning on the counter, he looked at his friend. "How's business going for you?"

"Well, slow today." The guy smiled and looked at the other two kids behind Chao. "Until the three of you walked in, I hadn't seen a soul today. School, Work and all that good stuff...why aren't you in school?"

"Slept in you could say." Chao replied before turning to let Kaira and Kiro walk closer to the counter. "Guys, this is a friend of mine, Huang. Huang, this is Kaira and Kiro." As Chao introduced everyone, he motioned his hands around to each person.

"I see." Huang said with a laugh. "Well I'm not one to turn away business. What can I do for you fine fellows and you ma'am?" Sliding his hands over the counter he was making them gaze in at the rare and powerful cards inside the case.

"My friend here would like to get some good cards to make his deck better." Chao motioned to Kiro as he spoke. "He's in a tournament of sorts that is on going for a while and he needs some new power."

"I see." Huang looked over at Kiro next. "So what kind of cards are you runnin' in that deck of yours?"

Scowling a bit at how Huang was speaking to him, Kiro resisted the urge to put his fist into Huang's face. He took a deep breath in before replying. "I run a Gravekeeper deck. Necrovalley and such."

"Aww." Huang seemed pleasantly surprised. "Don't see many of those running around. Hard to get working just right but well worth it in the end." Turning around, the larger man walked though a door that was behind the counter. When he came back out from there he held a large binder in his hands. Opening a small hatch, he came around from behind the glass cases. "These are the series of cards you play, right." Flipping open the front of the binder, Kiro saw that the cards inside were indeed Gravekeeper cards.

Nodding rather dumbly at the incredible number of cards in the binder, Kiro followed Huang to one of the four tables and set the binder down. Sitting at the table, Kiro took out his deck of cards. Fanning them out in his hand, he laid in upon the table in a bare spot. Flipping open the binder, he began to flip through pages.

* * *

"Where'd Katana go?" Deo asked, pushing open the door to the kitchen. "And have you heard anything from Kiro or the others?" 

Michi and Izumi were in the kitchen preparing lunch. Looking up as the tan haired boy asked the question, they smiled at him. Izumi was the first to respond.

"We haven't heard a thing from Kiro, Chao, or Kaira since they left for school yesterday."

"And Katana is off doing business." Michi filled in the rest of the question.

"I see." Deo walked into the room and sat down at the circular table that was in the middle of the room. "What kind of business?"

"Important." Was the simultaneous answer from the two sisters. The answer was less than satisfactory for Deo, but he decided against pressing the matter.

* * *

Katana was breeching the top of a hill. Looking around, she saw the strange temple laid out in the crater in the mountain. Walking down the stairs, she made her way into the ancient structure. 

"HALT!" An elderly but stern voice rang out from behind her. Spinning around in shock, Katana saw Kiro's grandfather standing there with his gun pointed at her. Once he saw her face, a smile creased his lips. "Oh Ann, if I would have known it were you I wouldn't have threatened you." Putting the gun down, he slowly made his way to her.

"Its quite alright." Katana smiled warmly as he walked to her. "I really shouldn't be dropping in uninvited anyways."

"Well that is true to. What brings you here anyways?"

"I was hoping to find Kiro and his friends here. I stopped by their school and they said that none of them were there today." Sighing, her vision dropped to the rocky ground. "If they are not here, I fear that Kiro might not have passed last nights trial."

"I have not seen any of them." Kiro's grandfather admitted. Looking up at the sky and taking a deep breath before he began to speak again. "If not for the changing moon, I would not even know if they survived the first trial. I haven't heard fromKiro since."

"I see." Katana looked up at the sky with him. They watched a flock of bird fly so freely over head. "So I guess if they are alive, we will hear from them today, or we will see the trial moon tonight."

"Exactly." Kiro's grandfather lowered his head and hobbled off towards the temple. "I wouldn't want to waste more of your time. I'd better let you go for now."

Shocked, Katana held up her hand to stop him. "Wait." She spurted out. He stoped in his tracks and turned to face her. Feeling a little foolish, she began to pick at her finger nails and looking down at the ground. "I...wa...was hoping I could look around the temple again. See if I can't learn something new."

Frowning, Kiro's grandfather turned and continued to walk away. "Do as you wish."

Those four words turned Ann Katana from professional researched into child getting presents at Christmas time. Joyously she hopped through the temple, looking for something to give her the answers she sought.

* * *

Hours had passed, and Kiro still found himself hard at work. More binders were brought out and many suggestions were made, but Kiro still seemed hard at work on his own game plan. Kaira had begun to look through cards herself. Chao and Huang had begun to talk and laugh like old friends. Partly cause they were old friends, but they still were enjoying themselves none the less. 

"So yeah, I was in a huge tournament this past year. Won it all. The prize was a card that wasn't really for my deck. Come to think of it." Huang cut off his sentence and darted into the back room. Chao looked at him in a bit of confusion when he returned with a small wooden box.

Snapping a latch on the case, he flipped back the top of it to reveal a green bordered card inside a small glass case of its own. Holding up the card, he let Chao look it over. His eyes were suddenly growing wide and his eyes quickly darted back over to where Kiro sat.

"Dude, this thing would be perfect for his deck. You've got to let him have it." Chao announced to his friend. Smiling with anticipation.

"That thing doesn't come cheep, not many of them are in circulation." Huang said, snatching the card back. "I can't just give it away to someone I've never met before. That would be absurd."

"Come on, he really would put it to good use." Chao protested, making Huang pull the card away from him even farther. Seeing it was going to be futile to try and beg it out of his old friend, he smirked as a new idea crossed his mind. Leaning on the counter, he looked up at his friend. "What do you say we have a duel for it? I win, you give it to him free of charge. I lose, and you can add it to my tab."

"All the cards he is already taking we are putting on your tab!" Huang complained, squeezing the card tighter in his hands. He was determined to not let this card out of his hands without some sort of high payment. Though he trusted Chao and knew that his tab was always paid off in full, he didn't like how Chao was begging him still.

"Then put it on my tab." A female voice rang out over the bell of the front door opening. Spinning around quickly, they saw a strawberry colored girl standing in the doorway. Chao's eyes grew wide and a smile creased his face.

"Emi!" He cried, running across the room. Stopping before he collided into her he looked at her. "Would you really do that?"

"Of course I would, silly." Emi replied, strolling into the store more. "Go ahead Huang, you can put it on my tab and I'll pay it back with interest. If Chao loses of course."

Hesitantly, Huang finally nodded. "Fine." He grunted under his breath. "I'll duel you for it. But you know how powerful I am. My deck is one of great strength. Think you can take it on with your pathetic dragons?"

"I can more than handle you Huang." Chao boldly stated, walking to the gray square area in the middle of the room. From behind the counter, Huang tossed him a duel disk which he caught in mid air and hooked on his wrist. "You may have been in better competitions than I have, but I am going to give it my all."

"That's the spirit dude." Huang smiled as he came around the counter with a duel disk on his arm as well. "At least you know what it means to duel. Have fun and just try your best."

"Yea, now lets duel!" Chao yelled as his duel disk snapped into place. Lighting up with its activation. Huang's mimicked the action as it activated. Both players slid their shuffled decks into the deck holders.

Chao-4000 LP  
Huang-4000 LP

"I start." Huang announced, sliding his six cards off his deck and adding them to his left hand. "I start with this; I send two cards from my hand to the graveyard in order to summon a monster of great power. Come forth; Light - Source Beast Candela (0/0)!"

Roaring into existence on the field, a strange orange skinned, twin headed beast appeared. It arched its two long necks and beared the teeth on both of its two heads which had two glowing diamonds for eyes, one on each of its head. In the middle of its torso, a hole seem to dig its way into the beast, revealing a light source from inside as well.

"Wow." Chao exclaimed, looking over the beast. "What a rare card. You get it at one of your many tournaments?"

"Of course. He is a prize to have. He will stop my draw phase from now on, but his attack is equal to the number of cards I hold in my hand times 1000. I have three so he will have 3000 attack for now (3000/0). Lucky for me, it can't attack on the turn it is summoned, and I can't attack on the first turn anyways. Make you move now Chao, see if you can best my monster."

"With pleasure." Chao exclaimed, snapping the top card off his deck. _"Just like you Huang, start off quick and powerful."_ Chao smiled to himself as he slapped a card face down on his duel disk. "I set one monster face down and set two cards face down behind it." Chao announced as he slid the three cards into his duel disk. Appearing on the field as he announce, the cards lined up.

"My turn now." Huang exclaimed, holding up his right hand to point to the defensive monster card. "I know your strategy, Chao. Hold your flip effect of your rocks to keep your opponent down. Well, with 3000 points your monster is toast. Go my Light - Source Beast Candela... "

"Hasty to attack my friend." Chao smirked, pointing to one of his set cards. It flipped up and began to glow. "A Feint Plan makes it so you can't attack any face down monsters this turn."

Huang dropped his hand to his side in failure. Though, a smile still remained on his face. "Good work Chao, that is what I expect from you. I end my turn."

"Draw!" Chao yelled, snapping the top card from his deck. "First, flip summon my set monster, Golem Sentry (800/1800). When he is flipped summoned, I return a monster on the field to your hand. Say good bye to your Light - Source Beast Candela!"

Flipping the staff around, a large stone monster with a wooden door in its chest appeared on the field. A strange aura the flowed off the beast wrapped itself around the orange skinned monster and eventually made it fade away into thin air.

"Open set trap, Level Conversion Lab! This trap lets me select one monster in my hand and bend its level to my will with a dice roll. I chose this," Chao held up one of the cards from his hand so Huang could see. "Tri-Horned Dragon (2850/2350)!"

Appearing in a large glass cylinder tube on the field, the blue skinned dragon with three large golden horns bursting out of its head curled up like it was under a hypnotic spell. From behind the glass tube, a yellow die appeared, rolling along the floor. Finally, it slid to a stop, revealing six black dots facing upwards.

"Ok, so now his level is six." Chao smiled as he pointed to his stone golem. "That's what he's good for. I sacrifice Golem Sentry in order to summon Tri-Horned Dragon!" The stone monster faded away as the blue dragon monster stirred inside the glass tube. Stretching out, the dragon soon broke the sides of the glass cylinder and stepped out onto the field. Flexing its muscles, the monster revealed its blood red scaly underbelly.

"Oh no!" Huang's eyes were wide as Chao's power house beast stepped onto the field. He watched as it opened its jaw to attack.

"Attack, Tri Laser Arrow!" Chao cried, letting his monster shot a stream of light out of its mouth with a arrow head tip at the end. Racing across the field, the beam of light crashed into Huang's body, making him fall to one knee.

Chao-4000 LP  
Huang-1150 LP

"Interesting ploy dude." Huang called to his friend. "I see your skill have only improved since the last tournament I held in here. You are as strong as ever." Standing up, Huang got back to his dueling stance and looked ready to go at it again.

"Thanks." Chao put his hand on the back of his head and smiled dumbly. "I wish I could say the same for you, but most of the time you don't let anyone score that big of a hit on you. I end my turn."

"Chao, dude, I'm going easy on you if you hadn't figured that much out." Huang smirked as he slid the top card off his deck. "I draw, and activate the magic card Pot of Greed. Letting me draw twice more." Sliding two of his brown backed cards off his deck he added them to his hand. Sliding one of the cards out of his hand, he flipped it over so Chao could see it. "Magic card, Solar Comet Fire Storm!"

"Say what?" Chao's eyes were wide as five, large white spheres appeared hovering behind his friend. They seemed to be filled with a burning energy that pulsed out over the entire field.

"Solar Comet Fire Storm gives me five tokens, and I put them into my magic and trap zones. Now they carry special powers that can help me rid the field of anything that I so please. But only if I don't miss and destroy one of their own. Watch." Huang pointed to the comet floating above his head. Instantly he shot off like a rocket, spinning around the field over their heads.

Slowly, Huang pulled the top card off his deck and smiled at what he saw. Flipping the card over he showed it to Chao. The title of the card read 'Solar Flare Dragon' (1500/1000). Sliding the card into his graveyard, Huang began to explain.

"By discarding the top card of my deck, I may sacrifice one of my Solar Comet tokens to destroy something on the field. Monsters destroy monster cards, magic's destroy face up magic or trap cards, and traps destroy face down magic or trap cards. If there is nothing on the field that matches the criteria, I lose a second comet token and take 700 points of damage. But I drew a monster, destroying your dragon!"

Rushing out of the sky, the white ball of light crashed into the large blue dragon, burning the large beast alive. It roared in pain as it was instantly destroyed. All that remained of the dragon when it was done was a wisp of smoke.

"By discarding two cards from my hand, I special summon again Light - Source Beast Candela (2000/0)." Roaring into existence again, the orange twin headed beast crashed onto the field, baring its sharp fangs. "One of the cards I discarded happened to be one of the rarer cards in my deck. Lost Light, Gain Hope! This trap, when discarded from my hand to the graveyard lets me draw a card off the top of my deck." Huang quickly explained, drawing another card from the top of his deck (3000/0). "The deal is, that next turn I have to put one card from my hand to the top of my deck. I end my move since my beast can't attack."

"Draw!" Chao yelled, snapping the top card off his deck. "I set one monster card face down on my field and end my turn." He exclaimed, placing one of the cards in his hand horizontally on one of the dueling squares.

"Ok." Huang said, skipping his draw phase per his monsters special ability. Grabbing one of the cards in his hand, Huang showed it to Chao. "My trap forces me to place one of the cards in my hand on top of my deck. So I place this card, Satellite Cannon (0/0)." Sliding the card back onto his deck, he listened to his monster whine as its power dropped (2000/0).

"Oh wait, shit!" Chao's eyes got wider as he realized what that meant. Huang pointed to another one of the floating spheres of light. Rushing forward, the comet prepared to do its job. Huang pulled the Satellite Cannon card off his deck, smiled, and put it in his graveyard.

The comet roared towards Chao's set monster, breaking it instantly apart. Chao was now left defenseless as the orange beast sent a burst of light erupting from both its nasty heads. Racing across the field, Huang's silent attack crashed into Chao's torso.

Chao-2000 LP  
Huang-1150 LP

"So its my turn." Chao said, reaching for his deck.

"Not so fast." Huang smirked, holding up the last two cards in his hand. Grabbing one of them he slid it into his duel disk face down (1000/0). "With the last card in his hand, he flipped over the green bordered card. "I can play this, Magical Suction Black Hole. This card destroys all magic and trap cards on my field, and that includes these fine little Comet Tokens, and deals you 500 points of damage for each destroyed."

"What?" Chao quickly realized that meant Huang was losing four things, making it for 2000 points of direct damage. Huang had that planned from the start, and knew it would work out well if he played his cards right.

Vanishing into thin air, the set card and the three remaining comets turned into a light blue stream of energy that flowed into the Magical Suction Black Hole. Glowing, the card sent a ray of light bursting out and crashing into Chao's chest.

Chao-0 LP  
Huang-1150 LP

"That's game dude." Huang smirked, his orange beast fading out of sight. "Looks like I'll be getting some payment on that card after all." Looking over at Emi, he waved to her. Gloating in his victory. "With some interest to boot."

"Emi." Chao said quietly, almost like he was hurt. Looking up with him, his eyes seem to beg her forgiveness. "You won't be paying that back alone. I will help you any way I can."

"There is no need to do that dude." Huang did a awkward skip across the gray dueling area and handed the card in the glass container to Chao. "That duel was fun enough, and its not like I'll be using it. Go on, take it." Shoving it out, Chao grabbed it eagerly. Huang let a deep laugh roll past his lips at Chao's reaction.

"Really?" He looked up at his friend, shocked and a little surprised.

"Yup. Go on. Duels are supposed to be fun, and I find it to be the greatest fun when I face great challenges, as well as see how others overcome my challenges." Looking down, he gave another gloating grin. "If they can, of course."

"Of course." Chao smiled back before turning and running over to where Kiro sat. He hadn't even looked up to watch the duel, he was still hard at work. Random cards were spread across the table where he sat. They seemed to be grouped into specific piles. Extending the card out so it was right in front of the green haired boy's face, Chao watched as Kiro's attention drifted to the card.

"What is this?" He growled, angry to have been interrupted.

"A gift. From me to you." Chao offered the card so Kiro could grab it. Taking it out of Chao's hands, Kiro began to read it. "So that a part of me will be with you when you are facing the testers."

Looking up, Kiro looked rather pleased with it. "Besides the fact I can't pronounce it, it seems worthy enough to put in my deck." Kiro said, laying the card down on a pile of cards. Then without hesitation, went back to looking through cards.

Chao sweet dropped. "A simple 'thank you' would have done just fine." He waited to see if Kiro would take him up on his suggestion. Instead;

"Yes, yes. Now go away."

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And my update. A fun little filler duel I wanted to do forsome time now. And, don't bother asking me what that card is that Chao got for Kiro, I won't tell. You will have to wait and see what it is.  
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	27. Quick Change in the Weather

Chapter 27: Quick Change in the Weather

Huang slowly shifted over the list of cards Kiro had made and the binders of card he had loaned out to him. Everything seemed to match up, and Kiro apparently hadn't stolen anything, so he began to tally up how much to add onto Chao's bill. Emi had left earlierso as to meether perfect record ofmaking it to work on time.

"Good deck. Seems like you really know what your doing." Huang hand Kiro's deck that he was looking through to see that all the cards on the list were present. Angerly, Kiro grabbed his deck back.

"Its bad enough I had to let you look at it." He growled, turning to walk out of the store. "But now you know what cards are in it. And on top of all that, I've wasted the whole day. Dammit." Kiro swore all the way out of the store. When the front door to the store closed, he turned and began to walk down the street. Out of sight of the windows, Kiro sighed and looked at the stack of cards in his hand. _"I hope this will be enough." _

_("It should be.") _Kooru's voice reassured him from inside his head. _("That now is your deck, based on your ideas, your tactics, your skills.")_

"_What if I have none?"_ Kiro asked, concerned filling his thoughts. _"One screw up and I am literally dead."_ Kiro could hear Heruru laughing in his head for some reason. Ignoring him, Kooru continued to answer.

_("I'm sure you'll do fine. You looked for many possible ways to throw your opponents off guard. Besides, with many new strategies running through that deck, I'm sure no tester will be able to read you quite so easily.") _Kiro could feel Kooru glaring at Heruru who was almost rolling on the floor with laughter. _("And what, pray tell, is so funny!")_

_("The almighty and great Kiro Rinku is terrified of making a mistake.")_ Heruru looked at the 'ceiling' of the soul chamber he was in. _("Mr. 'I'm not scared of nothing' is shaking now. I just personally find that funny.") _Heruru continued to giggle long after explaining himself.

Kiro just growled and continue his march down the street. Looking up, he saw the darkening sky. His gaze never left the horizon as he walked, not even when Kaira and Chao caught up to him.

The three of them walked in silence for quite a few blocks. Every now and again, Kiro slowed his pace cause Kaira began to fall behind. It was obvious that her side still pained her. Crossing an empty street, the three of them came to a small park. Seeing a bench that sat along the sidewalk, Kiro silently motioned to Chao and Kaira to sit.

"Its growing dark fast." Kaira observed as she sat down on the bench. There was something uneasy that shifted over here skin, but she wasn't sure what it was.

"Yeah." Kiro gave his monotone answer before leaning against a tree that was sitting right next to the bench. He also felt the uneasy feeling blowing over his skin. It was something he had felt before, but something seemed out of place.

The silence resumed over the group, all three of them seemed uneasy saying anything, but none of them really knew why.

Sliding her arm onto the metal arm of the bench, Kaira suddenly jerked her arm back from the coldness of the metal. Kaira just put her arm in her lap and continue to watch the sky turning a pale orange color with the rising of the moon. Then it dawned on her.

"_Wait, why is the bench cold?"_ Looking over at Chao, she tilted her head to the side. "Hey Chao, is the bench really cold to you?"

"What?" Chao looked back at the blond haired girl in confusion. "Why would the bench be cold at this time of year?" Chao questioned before placing his arm on the benches arm on his side. Sure enough, the metal was freezing. Yanking his arm back, Chao got up from the bench and tried to turn around to look at it. As he swivelled around, his feet slid out from under him and he crashed to the ground below with a loud 'thump'.

"Are you ok?" Kaira asked, standing up herself. Just like Chao, her feet began to slip on the sidewalk. About ready to topple over backwards, Kaira tried her best to stay upright by flailing her arms through the air. This caused her side to send a sharp, stabbing pain up through her chest.

Reaching out, Kiro caught a hold of Kaira before she feel. Surprised, Kaira just stared at her sudden brace. Smiling at him a bit, Kiro helped her to gain her balance. The cement on which they stood was covered in a layer of ice, almost invisible to the eye.

"Thanks Kiro." Kaira said to him as she gained her stance on the ice.

"Yeah, thanks Kiro." Chao grumbled sarcastically as he pulled himself up from the ground. A puff of steam floated out in front of his face from his breathing. "What is going on?" He questioned, turning his head to look down the street.

The air had become nippy, thick with a layer of a cold breeze. As people breathed, their breath was just as visible as Chao's was. Some people on the street found themselves on the ice covered ground. The sudden change in the weather had thrown everyone for a loop.

"Its too early to be this cold." Kaira complained, rubbing her arms with the opposite hands. "And this cold wave came on far to fast to be natural. Seems like your next test is going to be a cold one, Kiro."

"Looks that way." Kiro mumbled, turning a full 180 degrees very slowly. He was looking for anything out of place. He could feel that there was the tester present somewhere in the city. He just couldn't see them.

_("Wonder what kind of tactic this is.")_ Kooru's wonderment was apparent in his voice. He was scratching his chin with his hand as he looked through Kiro's eyes via the connection that they shared.

"_A stupid one."_ Was Kiro answer before he slowly started to edge his way down the street. Turning sharply to his left, he felt it as plain as day. "There!" He cried before trying to run off down the street. Slipping on the ice, Kiro soon found himself sliding down the street on his butt.

Kiro slid a good distance before he finally came to a total stop. Growling in frustration, he pulled himself to his feet with a near by street light. Looking around, he was searching for some mode of safe travel that would get him off this ice.

_("Or we could just ice skate our way down the street.") _Hebanu suggested, surprisingly being completely serious. Getting weird looks from the two other demons, as well as an odd feed back from Kiro, he just sank back down into a corner.

"_Although..."_ Kiro looked back at Kaira and Chao. Sighing, a faint grin appeared at the corner of his mouth. _"Seems we have no choice. Care to give it a try Hebanu?" _

_("Why me?")_ The demon asked back, suddenly standing again.

"_Your brilliant idea. That's why."_ Kiro replied before he finally spoke to the two humans who seemed to know he was conversing with the spirits. "Looks like we are ice skating our way. Just take it slow and hope like hell you don't slip."

"Ok." They both replied at the same exact moment. Shock raced across their faces as Kiro's normal green hair changing quickly into more of a sky blue color. His eyes fluxuating into a bright yellow color as Hebanu took control of the body.

"I'll go on ahead, you two follow behind at your own pace." Hebanu spoke gently, giving a warm smile to the two of them. "Don't over do yourself Kaira. Well, I'm off." And with that, the kindest demon began to attempt to skate down the sidewalk of glass like ice.

Several falls later, and crashing into a few poorly placed mailboxes, street lights, and other items littering the sidewalk, Hebanu finally got the hang of skating down the street. Moving his feet back in a quick jerk to give him more speed, he let his other foot guide him down the street.

Everything was iced over, and the cold weather was starting to make Hebanu's skin shake with the freezing air rushing by it. Coming to a stop again, Hebanu ran his hands across his bare arms really fast in an attempt to make him warmer. His breath could be seen floating up in front of his eyes as his deep breathing make him exhale more.

"It's very cold." He knew he was stating the obvious, but he was hoping for maybe one of the other spirits or Kiro to gesture to take his spot. When he only got back 'why yes it is, you idiot' as a response, he knew he wasn't going to be getting any help. Making a movement to start again, he noticed a black robed figure looking at him from the middle of the street.

"Kiro Rinku, or is it one of the spirits I address?" The robed figure asked, getting more of a stunned silence as the answer. Waiting patently, Hebanu finally found the words to speak.

"One of the spirits; Hebanu." Not taking his eyes off of the tester, Hebanu's thoughts raced. _"How did he sneak up on us that fast? I didn't even feel him getting that close._"

"Well, that is ok too." The figure motioned behind him. "Follow me." And with that, the tester did a floating motion backwards. He was guiding Hebanu to a frozen over pond that sat in the middle of a group of trees.A special little inner-city pond set aside in a attempt to make the business lined street more beautiful.A layer of glass like ice covered the surface flawlessly. Not a scratch or a blemish anywhere over the clear surface.

Carefully, Hebanu slid his way over to the water source. Finding it to be oddly warm in the presence of the tester, which was welcoming in the frosty air. Once the tester had stopped, Hebanu relinquished control of the body back to Kiro, his now green hair again fell in front of his eyes.

"Kiro Rinku I presume." The robed figure inquired, getting a nod as his answer. Pulling off his cloak, the man underneath was tall and slim. A frosty blue mat of hair sat atop his head, and two long drawn triangles were drawn below his icy gray eyes. He wore a long sleeved, baggy bathrobe looking garmet that was dark blue in color with a outline of gold around it. "I am Hachiro, tester of the Warm Orange Moon."

"And the point of it being so cold is because?" Kiro inquired, looking around at the ice glazed scenery.

The leaves were frozen spades hanging limply on the ice layered tree branches. The grass on the lovely hill side was frozen, almost into razor sharp points sticking upright. Like everything had been taken out of this realm and time had ceased its function on them, everything was preserved perfectly, just lock inside ice blocks.

"Cause these trials have you so tensed up. I though you needed to chill a bit." Smirking at his own joke, Hachiro proceeded to walk out onto the ice slicked lake. Making his way to roughly the center, he turned and faced Kiro. "Come on out, the waters' just right."

"It's a damn ice cube!" Kiro protested, pointing to the glass like surface. Then it dawned on him, _"Duh, its supposed to be stupid and life risking... Its one of the trials." _Taking his first couple of steps, Kiro managed to stay upright. Walking a ways out, he stopped when Hachiro signaled he had come far enough.

"It is time for the trial to start Kiro, if you'll notice, we are completely sealed in." Hachiro motioned to his feet as well as Kiro's. Around their feet, ice began to crawl around their shoes. Thickening as it grew, the ice soon became impossible to break with Kiro's strength. "Now, I believe we should play the ancient game."

Holding his left arm far out to his side, Hachiro felt a chunk of the ice that bound his foot break off and slither up his body. Wrapping itself around his torso a few times, the snake of ice slid down his left arm. Forming a cylinder like appearance around his wrist, the ice chunk spit out of the front and fanned open into a duel disk type shape. Molding itself, it took the likeness of a basic duel disk outline, ridged and crystal like in appearance.

On Kiro's arm, his white wrist gadget sent out the pure light dueling platform. Pulling out his deck of cards, Kiro looked at them thoughtfully.

"_Hope this works...or I'm sunk." _Taking a big gulp, Kiro slid the brown backed cards into the wrist gadget. Taking another deep breath, Kiro slid the top five cards from their place on his deck. Looking up, he saw Hachiro doing the same.

Kiro-5000 LP  
Hachiro-5000 LP

"Ok Kiro Rinku." Hachiro said, pulling a sixth card from its spot on top of his own deck of cards that now sat in the deck holder on his duel disk. "I am kind of the halfway point, the fifth tester. Win here, and you'll be half way to your goal." Hachiro saw that this pleased Kiro to hear. Smiling slightly, he continued to talk. "So I begin this, the test of the Warm Orange Moon!" He bellowed out, whipping his right hand up towards the sky. Right dead behind him, a large round moon, that was indeed orange, sat in the sky.

"Right, duel!" Kiro braced himself, waiting for any possible thing his opponent might throw at him. He saw plenty of possibilities in his first hand, but he wondered if they were going to be good enough.

"For my first monster, I think my Frosty Cyclops seems like a good summon (1200/1000)." Slapping the card down on the fanned out ice duel disk, the card seemed to stick instantly. Before Hachiro, a large, two legged monster appeared. The beast had but one eye sitting front and center on its bald head. Its skin was light blue, icicles hanging off its elbows, knees, and other parts of its body.

"What does that do?" Kiro asked, trying to see the card from were he stood bolted to the ground.

"Nothing." Hachiro smiled, tilting his wrist downward so Kiro could see that the card had a yellow border around it. "That is why I will set one card down behind it and conclude my turn." Hachiro slid one of the five cards he still held into the ice like structure protruding from his wrist.

"Then its my move. Draw!" Kiro exclaimed, snapping the top card off his deck and adding it to his hand before looking at it. Pulling one of the cards out, he made the first play of his new deck. "I summon forth Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier in attack mode (1500/1000)!"

Appearing out of a pillar of light, the Egyptian warrior appeared whipping its spear through the air and snapping it down into a threatening position. Smiling, the monster prepared to face off against the weaker Cyclops monster.

"Go Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier, attack his Cyclops monster now! Spear Stab!" Kiro ordered, whipping his arm forward towards the frosty one-eyed beast. Bursting forward on its hind legs, the warrior jerked across the field in an attempt to impale the awaiting foe.

"Quick-play magic card open!" Hachiro roared out, motioning to his set cad. "Aquatic Battery! This gives all water monsters on my field twice as much attack points for this turn." Hachiro explained as his monster began to roar in a surge of energy. Flexing its muscles, the monster grabbed the oncoming spear and broke it in half right in it hand (2400/1000). Whipping back its free hand, it propelled it forward, punching the monster dead in the face and sending it flying backwards towards Kiro.

Kiro-4100 LP  
Haciro-5000 LP

Slowly, the Gravekeeper's Spear Solder faded off the field. This left Kiro completely open for any enemy attack.

"_Well, that seemed to work almost. I didn't give away that I might have something to help me later." _Kiro thought before sliding another card into his duel disk. "I play the magic card Gravekeeper's Servant. As long as it remain on my field you must discard one card in order to declare an attack. This ends my move." Kiro announced as his magic card appeared on the field. It showed a yellow moon above a graveyard with a shadowy gremlin across the image of the moon.

"During your end phase, Aquatic Battery drains the attack and defense of my water monsters down to zero (0/0)." As Hachiro spoke, his Frosty Cyclops groaned as the energy was suddenly sapped from its body. It started to hunch over, looking very weak and old. "Draw!" He yelled as he drew his next card.

"_What will be next?"_ Kiro wondered as Hachiro slid the card he held into his ice like duel disk.

"I play the magic card Cold Wave! This will make it so that we can't play or set any spell or trap card until my next turn." As the said magic card appeared on Hachiro's field, a cold ice like fog appeared over both of the competitors magic and trap card zones. Reaching down, Hachiro slid his Cyclops monster card into defense mode. "I switch my Frosty Cyclops to defense mode and end my turn."

The ice blue beast crouched down on one knee, his card appearing under him in a horizontal fashion.

"My turn, draw!" Kiro yelled, snapping the top card off his deck and looking at it. _"Why didn't he summon something and attack me? I was wide open." _Kiro pondered, pulling out another card from his hand he quickly placed it onto his duel disk. "I summon Gravekeeper's Cannonholder (1400/1200) in attack mode."

Appearing in front of Kiro on the glass like surface of the lake, an Egyptian warrior clad in black robes appeared. On its right shoulder it hefted a heavy looking wooden cannon painted red. Taking aim at the one eyed beast, the creature prepared to take it out.

"Gravekeeper's Cannonholder attack his Frosty Cyclops now!" Kiro gave the signal, letting his monster send a cannonball of white and yellow energy bursting out of the cannon. Racing across the field, the energy ball crashed into the chest of the monster, ripping it to shreds instantly.

Depositing the card into a graveyard slot, Hachiro looked less than effected by the loss of his monster. He smiled at Kiro as if to say 'we have only but just begun'.

"I have to end my move." Kiro said, looking down at the four cards he held.

"Good, here I go." Hachiro said as he pulled his top card off his deck and held it out so he could see it. The fog that had rested on the field faded away, indicating that they could now use their magic and trap cards again like normal. That is just what Hachiro intended to do. Grabbing a card, he slid it into his ice like duel disk. "I set one card face down and summon my Bolt Penguin in face-up defense mode (1100/800)." Appearing over a horizontal card, a small blue colored penguin appeared with long whips for arms. Down these brown colored whips, arcs of electricity jumped down to the tip. "That is my move. Take it away Kiro Rinku."

"_Bolt Penguin?"_ Kiro was now more confused than ever. _"What the hell does this guy think he's doing? He hasn't played anything that would even pass as a challenge. Just throwing down worthless monsters"_

_("Kiro, don't think like that. Look at the score.")_ Kooru interrupted Kiro's thought pattern. _("Seems like his 'worthless' monsters have done more damage to you without him having to do a single thing. He is using your strength against you. Watch it.")_

"_Fine, whatever."_ Kiro hated to admit it, but Kooru was right. Kiro had damaged himself by running into thatfirst attack. Who knows what Hachiro might have planned to take him out this round. "I set one card face down and..." Kiro's card appeared before him before he slapped his next card down onto his duel disk. "I summon forth Gravekeeper's Watcher (1000/1000) in attack mode"

Appearing on his field next to his cannon bearing monster, an Egyptian man in black colored garments appeared. Holding a stone with unique carvings on it, under his arm, he prepared to do battle.

* * *

The slow and tedious pace was made even slower by the breaks both Chao and Kaira had to take. The ice had made movement very hard, and with any strain on her side, Kaira yelped out in pain. 

Going as slow as they were, the cold breeze pierce right through their bodies, making them shake. Taking shelter behind a small wall, the two of them had to keep rather close in order to keep warm.

"I don't even know where we are going." Chao complained, looking out from behind the wall and down the street. "I can't see any sign of the trial duel anywhere."

"I don't know if we'll make it to that duel." Kaira voice was ridged, pain sapping her strength and the cold atmosphere was making her rather sick. "We will freeze before we get there. Or while we'd be standing there watching it."

"Good point." Chao looked around. They were on a business street, stores and shops lined the sidewalks. Most of them closed for the night, but one thing caught his eye. "A 24 hour convenient store." Chao pointed down the street to the only building with lights turned on. "Were about going to have to wait it out there." He explained.

"Right." Kaira agreed. And with that, the two of them made the long journey across the street and down to the end of the block.

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Well, Kiro faces the fifth tester. What kind of tactics will Hachiro use in this duel? I know, but I'm sure that none of you do. That is why you'll just have to wait till I update again. Till then, have a nice day!XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	28. Gravekeeper’s on the Rocks

Chapter 28: Gravekeeper's on the Rocks.

Kiro stood behind his newly summoned Gravekeeper's Watcher and his Gravekeeper's Cannonholder. They both looked ready to battle the small little blue penguin monster, the Bolt Penguin.

Pointing with his right hand, Kiro was ready to issue the attack. Hesitating a bit, he finially took in a deep breath and let the words roll off his lips. "Gravekeeper's Watcher, attack his Bolt Penguin now! Watcher Tablet!"

Holding the stone tablet forward, the said monster let a battle cry come forth from its throat. The tablet began to glow in a radiant light, beginning to collect in the center of the stone rock. From this collection of light in the center of the stone, an energy beam erupted forth. Ripping through the little blue monster, it yelped in pain as its body was torn to ribbons in the brutal light.

"Now Kiro, you've helped me. Open set trap!" Hachiro exclaimed, letting his set card flip up suddenly. "By discarding all of my hand I can use the effect of my Rope of Life to restore my monster with an 800 attack point bonus."

Without a seconds more hesitation, Hachiro slid the three cards he was holding flawlessly into his duel disk's graveyard slot, grabbing the Bolt Penguin when it was ejected again. Slapping it back down onto his ice dueling field, he watched as the beast materialize again in front of him.

This time the Bolt Penguin looked even more ferocious, growling and snarling about his side of the field. Cracking his whips on the ground of solid ice. The beast's eyes were bloodshot and revenge seemed to be his only goal (1900/800).

"_He did it again!"_ Kiro realized seeing the blue penguin making its return to the field. _"He used my force to make his monster become stronger."_ Shifting his eyes to his Gravekeeper's Cannonholder he made a note of how much lower the attack strength was. Reaching down to his duel disk he moved the card slightly. "I shift my Cannonholder to defense mode to end my turn." Kiro announced, letting his cannon bearing monster to fall down to one knee, his card appearing below him. "That is my turn."

"Ok then, its my turn.Draw!" Hachiro called, snapping the top card from his deck. Smiling, he set it on his duel disk. "I set one monster face down." He called as the brown backed card appeared on his field next to his super charged lightning bird. Whipping his arm around, he motioned to the tablet holding Gravekeeper. "Bolt Penguin. Attack that beast now! Lightning Whip!"

Squawking, the penguin whipped out its right arm, sending the brown length of rope flying towards thewatcher monster. Racing towards the monster, the whip crackled with an electric current. Inches from the monsters face, Kiro began to laugh.

"So, its time I used the same strategy that you've been pulling on me. Open set trap!" He cried as his set card flipped up in one swift motion. The card began to produce a radiant light that shot off into his crouching Gravekeeper's Cannonholder. "Covering Fire!"

"Which does?" Hachiro inquired as the light that surrounded the Cannonholder began to slowly filter over into the Watcher. The aura soon turned into a purple color as the watcher began to groan. Seeping into its skin, the monster seemed to be gaining power as it absorbed the light (2400/1000).

"Covering Fire works when you attack a monster on my field. I get to increase the attack of the attacked monster by the attack of another monster on my field." Kiro explained as the Watcher held up his stone tablet to block the oncoming whip. Smacking into the face of the carved stone, the whip came to a sudden halt. Electricity continued to crack off of it as it sat there, attached to the stone it seemed.

"So you gave 1400 attack points from your Gravekeeper's Cannonholder to your Gravekeeper's Watcher." Hachiro observed, pleased with Kiro's move it seemed.

"Right." Kiro smirked, whipping his hand forward. "Gravekeeper's Watcher, counter attack!"

Heeding the command, Kiro's monster sent a ray of light shooting down the long whip. The whip began to rip and tear as the light coursed down it until finally colliding into the shoulder of the penguin. Squealing in pain, the penguin finally broke into small data bits that burst out all over the place. Loud thumps were heard as the spherical data landed on the glass like surface of the lake. After sitting idol for a few seconds, the balls fading into nothingness.

Kiro-4100 LP  
Hachiro-4500 LP

"Oh, and don't you forget." Kiro motioned to his other card that was still active on the field. "Gravekeeper's Servant is going to force you to discard the top card of your deck for that attack. Let see what we discarded, shall we?"

"Very well." Hachiro complied, pulling the top card from his deck and flipping it over. Smiling slightly, he couldn't believe his luck. Holding the card up so Kiro could see it, he began to explain. "This monster is known as Penguin Knight (900/800), and here is how he works. When he is sent from my deck to my graveyard, I get to pull all the cards in my graveyard and put them back into my deck."

Taking up all the cards that his graveyard slot ejected, Hachiro held them up so Kiro could see he was going to get a good amount of cards back. Pulling out his deck, Hachiro placed the card back on top of the stack and began to shuffle his deck.

Looking up, Hachiro just smiled at Kiro. "I guess that would be my turn."

"Good." Kiro commented, sliding the card off his deck and adding it to his hand. Looking his hand over, he didn't see much he wanted to try at this point. He was just glad that his new deck was doing this good. It was his deck now, a deck he put together. Lifting his head, he glared at Hachiro's set monster. _"What could it be?"_ Slowly lifting his arm, he pointed to his Cannonholder. "Go my monster, I shift you back into attack mode.Attackhis set defendernow. Cannon of the Grave!"

Whipping the cannon onto its shoulder again, the monster preceded to blast out a cannonball of white and yellow energy. Racing across the field, Kiro was pleasently surprised when he saw it ripping the set card to bits. From the card, a small purple penguin flew backwards and landed at Hachiro's ice covered feet. Standing up on wobbly flippers, the penguin held the sword it had in its hands high into the air before sending it striking into the ice below. A wave of white energy burst across the field and into Kiro's two monster.

"You flipped my set Penguin Soldier (750/500). When you do such a thing, he sends up to two monsters on the field back to their owners hands." Hachiro explained while the two Gravekeeper's on Kiro's field slowly vanished into the ice cold air. Hachiro slid the said card into his own graveyard slot and the purple colored penguin at his feet faded away as well.

"Fine, all I will do then is set this monster and end my turn." Kiro announced, placing one of the cards in his hand horizontally on his duel disk. The brown backed card appeared before him in a ripple of light.

"My move. Draw!" Hachiro exclaimed, snapping the top card off his deck and whipping it through the air. A strange silence fell over the field as Hachiro thought about the card he now held. _"Kiro has learned a few things. From what he used to be, he would have more than likely gone right back onto the offensive. Now though, he is thinking smart and protecting himself a lot better."_

"_I hope this works as well as I think it will."_ Kiro pondered in his own head, waiting for Hachiro to move. He was very happy when Hachiro finally made a motion towards his duel disk.

"I set one card face down and that is my move." Hachiro slid the card he had drawn into the magic/trap card section of his duel disk. A ripple of yellow and white light washed over the field before him as a brown back card appeared just in front of him.

"Draw." Kiro announced as he pulled the top card from his deck and sliding it into his hand. _"Its one of my new cards I got. This will be interesting to see if this works."_ Kiro pulled one of the cards from his hand and slapped it down on the white dueling plate. "I summon back Gravekeeper's Cannonholder in attack mode (1400/1200)."

Appearing again on his field. The cannon bearing monster appeared in an uprush of sparkly light.

"Now I give him a new equipment card. Activate the magic card; Staff of Allied Force!" Putting his cannon down by his side, the monster let a long, silver colored staff appear between his hands. It was decorated lovely with gold lines coursing their way down the entire length and jewels embedded into it along those lines. At the top, a circular design was placed on top, carved out of the same type of metal. Glowing, the staff gave a faint light purple aura to the monster that now held it.

"Staff of Allied Force?" Hachiro questioned, looking at the virtually unchanged monster. The staff seemed to have done nothing to him attack or defense wise, so it must have another effect that doesn't deal with the stats of the monster it was equipped to!

"It is a powerful equipment. I have to send one card from my hand to the graveyard to use it." Kiro explained, flashing his Necrovalley Lock and Key card just before sliding it into his graveyard. Smiling, he looked back up at his monster. "Now that I have discarded something. I can sacrifice my Cannonholder and the Staff in order to special summon a monster from my deck with the same star level. That would be four, so here I go."

The Cannonholder began to surge violently with the strange aura, seconds later being blow to pieces by it. Kiro pulled his deck out and was quickly fishing through it to find what he wanted. Once he found it, he whipped it out of the deck and onto his duel disk. A rush of light followed as the monster version of Kiro appeared. It was only wearing pants made of the same black material as the rest of the Gravekeeper's, but it let its tan torso and muscular physique show. His face was identical to Kiro's, down to every line and scratch.

"I sacrifice Gravekeeper's Cannonholder to summon Gravekeeper Kiro (1800/1100)!" Kiro announced. His deck was still fanned out in his hand and with the summoning of his new monster, he got to use its effect. Pulling out another card, he placed it into the side of his duel disk. "When myself appears, I get to pull Necrovalley from anywhere and place it on the field. Watch this!"

Rushing up from all sides, the large stone walls of the valley of the dead appeared. Towering high above them, the valley seem to narrow and focus the cold wind that was sill blowing around them. It grew eerie with the fog that also syphoned into the valley. (Gravekeeper Kiro 2300/1600)

"Interesting way to get the monster you want out." Hachiro observed Kiro's play. Smiling, he was happy that Kiro seemed to have grown stronger from Gallus's lessons.

"I flip my set monster too. Come out; Cat of Ill Omen!" Flipping up his set monster, a fat black cat appeared on the field. A stunning gold necklace adorned its features as it posed on the field (500/300). "When this monster is flipped I get to pull one trap card from my deck and place it on top of my deck, that is unless Necrovalley is active on the field, then the trap comes to my hand."

Kiro, deck still in hand, wasted no time in pulling out another card from his deck. Adding it to his hand, Kiro began to finally shuffle his deck. After a few times, he slid it back into his deck holder. Grabbing the new trap card he just got, he slid it into his duel disk, making the image of it materialize in front of him face down.

"I set one card face down." Kiro said before pointing towards Hachiro. "Now Gravekeeper Kiro, direct attack!"

"Normally that would be damaging." Hachiro said, watching the said monster begin to propel himself forward. Whipping his arm out, the set card on his field flipped up and began glowing in a blue colored aura. "Open face down card, Crystal Seal!"

Gravekeeper Kiro's advance was halted suddenly as large pillars of a violet colored crystal began to pop out of the ground around him. He struggled to get away, but he soon found himself locked in a crystal prison.

"As long as my trap; Crystal Seal has your monster bound, you cannot attack with him or sacrifice him. Just change his attack points and he'll be free." Hachiro explained as the new lawn ornament slid its way back to Kiro's field.

"_Dammit!" _Kiro cursed as he found his best monster completely worthless on his field for right now. Whipping his arm out, he still planned to do some damage this turn. "Cat of Ill Omen, direct attack!"

Bounding across the field, the black cat monster beared all of its claws, which it promptly sank into Hachiro's left arm which he held up to fend off the oncoming assault.

Kiro-4100 LP  
Hachiro-4000 LP

"I end my turn then." Kiro sadly proclaimed as his cat monster jumped off of its perch on Hachiro's arm and landed on the field next to his large crystalized monster. On Hachiro's sleeve, blobs of blood could be seen soaking through.

Smiling slightly, Hachiro didn't seem to be affected by the wound he now beared. Pulling the top card off is deck he held it up in front of his face. "Draw." Instantly moving towards his duel disk, he slapped down the card he had drawn. "My next monster, Blade Skater (1400/1500)!" Hachiro cried out as a purple and gray skinned woman monster appeared in front of him. Attached to her feet were skates used in ice skating, as well as under her arms were attached some. The ones under her arms though were sharpened to razor blades, deadly to the touch.

"Blade Skater?" Kiro actually had never seen such a monster before. It skated around Hachiro's field several times before it began to move slowly towards Kiro's monsters.

"Blade Skater, attack his Cat of Ill Omen! Accel Slicer!" Taking the top card of his deck, Hachiro slid it into his graveyard as per Gravekeeper's Servant. Skating its way across the field in a blinding show of athletic ability, the monster raised its right arm high in an attempt to slice through the cat monster. Pulling it down quickly, the monster was ready to slice the cat through, before Kiro activated his trap that was.

"Trap card go! Windstorm of Etaqua!" Kiro cried as his set card flipped up. A massive gale began to blow out of the card image, pushing the purple and gray skinned lady back to Hachiro's field. Bracing itself against the wind, it had to fall down to one knee to keep from being blown away. Its card image appeared below it. "This trap forces all your monsters to change their battle positions. So my cat and my life are safe."

"Brilliant play." Hachiro commented, smiling at Kiro from behind his defending monster. "I have to end my turn." He said without a second though. _"Kiro is a bit more strategic now than what he was before he faced Gallus. He knew that his cat is a weaker stat monster, so he chose a good protection trap. And he knew that he would need it as soon as he could get it, so he worked out Necrovalley to add it to his hand. On top of that, his Gravekeeper's Servant card forced me to send one card off my deck."_

"Draw!" Kiro cried, sliding the top card off his deck. Growling at it, he had to just slid it behind his monsters. "I set one card face down and end my turn by shifting my cat to defense mode."

"Alright. Draw!" Hachiro cried, sliding the top card off his deck and looking at its face. "Magic card; Hand Match! A powerful card that lets me draw cards until I have the same number of cards in my hand that you have." Hachiro slid the card into his duel disk before sliding two cards off his deck. Pulling one of the cards out, he held it up so Kiro could see. "And my Pot of Greed too."

"That'll give you two more cards." Kiro was less than pleased with how fast Hachiro was gaining cards back.

"Nice." Hachiro smiled as he pulled one of his new cards from his hand. "This magic card is a handy little one. I play Double Sight. A magic card that works on normal monster cards on my field. I get to special summon a monster of the same name from my deck in the same position as the one on the field. But I'll take 500 damage from doing this."

Kiro-4100 LP  
Hachiro-3500 LP

Next to the first, another bald headed skater appeared crouching down. Hachiro slid the last two cards in his hand into the ice covered duel disk. "I set two cards, ending my turn." A ripple of white and yellow light followed, producing two brown backed cards before him.

"My turn, draw!" Kiro yelled, drawing another card from his deck and looking at its face. Adding it to his other two cards, Kiro pointed to his set card. "Open trap, Rite of Spirit! This lets me special summon one Gravekeeper from my graveyard even if Necrovalley is present on the field. Come back, Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier (1500/1000)!"

The Egyptian clad warrior in black appeared again, flawlessly twirling around its spear between its fingers. From the valley around him, the monster soon began to gain power from being in its home (2000/1500).

"He comes with the power to pierce through your defense. So take this; Gravekeeper Spear Soldier attack his Blade Skater now! Spear Stab!" Without a seconds hesitation, the spear wielding monster hurdled across the field, stabbing the spear through the chest of one of the purple and gray skaters. Roaring in pain, it exploded into small data fragments that pounded into Hachiro's skin.

Kiro-4100 LP  
Hachiro-3000 LP

"Again, thank you Kiro Rinku." Hachiro smiled as one of the two set cards flipped up. "Greedy Battle Attacks is a trap that lets me draw two cards when a monster on my field is destroyed as a result of battle and I take damage from it." And with that, Hachiro slipped the top two cards off his deck and fanned them out to look at both of them.

"I end my move." Kiro growled, angry that he helped his opponent again.

"Draw." Hachiro, without a second pause, announced as he pulled a third card from his deck. Smiling wide, he saw two cards that he could use very effectively. Slapping one of them onto his duel disk, a blue penguin with weird wing like ears popping out of the sides of his head appeared. "I summon Flying Penguin (1200/1000) to the field in attack mode."

"Another penguin." Kiro was less than impressed. He seem to be on top of this duel and he didn't quite see how a penguin was going to turn it around.

"Yes, another penguin. This one though, I give the magic card Penguin Sword to!" Hachiro cried as he slid the second of the cards into his duel disk. Appearing in the wing like hand of the penguin, a large silver colored sword gleamed in the light of the orange moon. "This increases my beasts attack points by 800 (2000/1000)."

"So now the attacks are equal." Kiro observed as the penguin tried out his new sword, slashing it through the air with great ease.

"True." Hachiro agreed, reaching for the top card of his deck. "I send one card from my deck to my grave to attack your Cat of Ill Omen!" Hachiro cried, sliding the top card off his deck.

The Flying Penguin whipped the sword high above its head, slicing it downwards towards the ice covered ground. A beam of light ripped through the air, with teeth like a buzz saw. Running through the black furred cat, it exploded into bits of data the flew all around the field before vanishing.

Kiro groaned and shielded his eyes until the blast of light subsided. Looking up, he saw Hachiro holding the card he was suposed to discard for the attack. Smirking almost darkly, he flipped it around.

"It was only a matter of time till I found another one." He said, showing another Penguin Knight to Kiro. "Remember, when sent from my deck to my graveyard, all the cards there are shuffled back into my deck." Taking the stack of cards his graveyard ejected, Hachiro pulled out his deck and began to shuffled the two stacks together. Mixing the cards up, he placed it back into the deck holder.

"_And that is him making me help him!"_ Kiro growled again, angry that his opponent just scored back some really good cards.

"Now I end my turn. Take it away Kiro Rinku." Hachiro smirked at Kiro's frustration. _"Keep your cool and you'll do just fine Kiro, get riled up and your on a road to failure."_

"Draw!" Kiro bellowed, snapping the top card off his deck. Thinking for a second, he almost slid the card into his hand but stopped before placing it between any of the cards already there. Smiling, he slapped the card onto his duel disk. "I set one monster face down on my duel disk and I have to end my turn."

"Then its my turn." Hachiro slid the top card, smiling at what he saw. "I'm sure your remember this card; Hand Match!" Sliding the said card into his ice like duel disk, Hachiro drew cards and added them to the one he already held, matching Kiro's three cards that he held. Pulling a card out, he smiled as he moved it towards his duel disk. "This shouldn't come as a shock to you, Bolt Penguin rise again (1100/800)."

Appearing next to the dark blue colored penguin, the light blue one with whips attached to its wings appeared. Lightning crackled down the brown whips and it snapped them out and quickly drew them back in. Next to him, the purple and gray skinned lady stood up too.

"I also switch Blade Skater to attack mode." Hachiro called before moving his hand out to the side in a swift motion. "Flying Penguin, attack Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier now! Penguin Slash!" He cried out, discarding the top card from his deck to do so.

The dark blue penguin wielded the sword high in the air above its oddly shaped head. Snaping the sword down, the tip crashed into the glass like surface of the lake. A razor of energy burst forward, cruising across the field towards the spear bearing monster.

The light cut through the monster, splitting it quickly in two. As it did, the monster yelled out in pain and anger before exploding into data bits. The Flying Penguin followed suit, exploding into nothingness as well.

"Blade Skater, attack his set monster now! Accel Slicer!" Twirling in a circle very beautifully, the monster gracefully slid her way across the field before elbow dropping down into the center of the brown backed card. The razor sharp blade attached to her arm dug right through the card, making it instantly explode a part.

Kiro smiled, holding up the card. On it, a gray owl monster stood with a golden head peice that resembled a crown. Sliding it into his graveyard, Kiro smirked.

"This card is called Owl of Luck. When its flipped I get to pull one field card from my deck and place it on top of my deck. But whenNecrovalley is on the field, then the card comes to my hand instead." Kiro explained before pulling out his deck and looking through it.

"Out to get another Necrovalley?" Hachiro smirked at this, thinking another Necrovalley would be pointless to have at this point.

"Not quite." Kiro said, pulling one of the card out of his deck and placing it in his hand cards. Shuffling his deck, he slid the cards back into his deck holder. Looking at the card thoughtfully, he remembered where he got it from.

_/Flashback/_

_/"A gift. From me to you." Chao offered the card so Kiro could grab it. Taking it out of Chao's hands, Kiro began to read it. "So that a part of me will be with you when you are facing the testers."/_

_/End Flashback/_

"Ok then, well its your turn." Hachiro commented, looking at Kiro's thoughtful expression.

Smiling, Kiro held the card up, and flipped it over to show Hachiro. _"Thank you Chao, this will be handy right now seeing what I have to work with."_ Kiro thought before begging to explain. "I play the magic card, Djeser-Djeseru."

"You play what?" Hachiro's eyes widened. He hadn't expected anything like this.

"Djeser-Djeseru is a field magic card that can only be played if I have a face-up Necrovalley on my field. This cards basic functions are exactly the same as Necrovalley, and it is applied as the same name for all my cards whose effects work with Necrovalley." Kiro explained, catching the first field card as it was ejected from the white dueling plate. Sliding this new card in, a rush of energy surged through the duel disk.

Behind Kiro, a large stone temple began to rise out of the ground. It seem to embed itself into a wall that appeared from the large stone wall surrounding them. Glowing in a strange, yellow light, the temple was three stories tall. Large, circular pillars supported each floor and created rectangle archways, stretching from one end all the way to the other. Front and center, a large ramp of stair rose up to the top of the first floor, which was protruding out. The top two floors were indented in from that point.

"Djeser-Djeseru comes with even more powers." Kiro advertised, whipping his arm through the air. "And it will help me bring you down. Just you watch!"

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But, as for what those other powers are that Kiro speaks of, we'll just have to wait and see. As always, I'd love to hear some comments from you people, my readers. Sometimes, its your voice that gives me some pride in writting this. No voice is too small, and any thing you would like to say, good or bad, I'll still listen. Anyways, this is my update. Hope you guys enjoyed it.  
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	29. Frozen Heart and a Soul on Fire

Chapter 29: Frozen Heart and a Soul on Fire

Kiro stood proudly in front of the stone temple card he had just played. Its presence made the cold and foggy valley fill with s eerie chill that made their skins crawl. The temple itself had a faint yellow aura that flowed around its outside perimeter, but solid blackness past its archways along its three stories.

"Now that I have Djeser-Djeseru in play, I can prove to you that I am not so easily read and that I am far more worthy to pass these test than you all think I am!" Kiro roared, pulling one of the cards from his hand and slapping it down on his duel disk. "Come out, Gravekeeper's Watcher (1000/1000)."

Appearing again, the black robed, tan monster returned to the field next to the large purple colored crystal that still held Gravekeeper Kiro. Holding up the stone tablet, the monster began to feel the force of the field around him, his home giving him his power boost (1500/1500).

"Watcher, strike his Bolt Penguin now! Tablet of the Ages!" Kiro bellowed, his monster heading his order. Holding the stone tablet in front of his body, the Gravekeeper made it start glowing in a pure white light. Gathering into a ball in the middle of the stone carving, the light burst forward in a beam of energy that blasted across the body of the electric bird.

The body of the bird was completely ripped to shreds, squawking in pain as it was torn off the field.

Kiro-4100 LP  
Hachiro-2600 LP

"Nice move, but." Hachiro smirked, pointing to his set card on his field. "Open my set trap card! Loss of a Friend! This trap works only if I had two monsters on the field. I get to treat the monster that was just destroyed as an equipment magic card to the monster that is still on the field. The attack and defense of that monster than jump up by half the attack and defense of the monster equipped to it."

Surging with power, the purple and gray skinned ice skater began to rush with a white aura. Electricitystarted to arc its way across her skin and the faces of the blades on her arms. She seemed to finally be able to stand the sudden increase in power, and glared with a wicked look at the tablet holding monster (1950/1900).

"Nothing I seem to do works..." Kiro growled under his breath, angry that Hachiro was using his strength against him at every turn. His eyes falling to the three cards he now held, he scanned each one hopefully. "I end my turn."

"Ok then." Hachiro smirked, pulling the top card off his deck and holding it up so he could see its face. Adding it to his hand he pointed towards Kiro's Gravekeeper's Watcher. "Blade Skater, Accel Slicer attack!"

Smirking, the ice skating monster began to gracefully slide across the field, whipping its arms around so its body was spinning in a tornado as it moved. The razor sharp blades slashed through the tablet holding monster with great ease, breaking it into small data fragments.

Kiro-3650 LP  
Hachiro-2600 LP

Kiro had to shield his face from the dull balls of data that shot out from his monster upon destruction. Looking up, he caught the tail end of Hachiro discarding a card for the effect of his still face up Gravekeeper's Servant.

"I end my move." Hachiro smiled wide as his beautiful Blade Skater slid her way back to a spot right in front of him. Sliding to a stop, small ice shavings sprayed up into the air, making it appear to be snowing over Hachiro.

"My move! Draw!" Kiro bellowed, snapping the top card off is deck and holding it up to his face. "I set a card face down on my field." Kiro began, sliding the card into his duel disk behind his still frozen monster self. "But I'll summon my Gravekeeper's Spy (1200/2000) in attack mode!"

"What?" Hachiro was a bit more than shocked by the move. "Why in attack mode? It can only use its effect from a flip."

"I know that." Kiro smiled as his robed Egyptian spy floated down the field before him. Its black and dark blue robes blew back in the icy wind that still blew down the valley that surrounded the two of them. A faint aura began to form around Kiro's new monster as the valley began to give it power (1700/2500). "Now Spy, attack Blade Skater!" Kiro bellowed, punching the air in front of him.

"What? Why?" Hachiro eyes had filled with fear. He didn't understand what Kiro was doing calling such a reckless attack. _"Is he trying to get himself killed?"_

To Hachiro's surprise though, when the sneaky monster floated up in front of the ice skater monster and cupped its hands right in front of her face. The blast of navy blue energy that flew out from its palms, coursing with white ruin Egyptian hieroglyphs, consumed and quickly destroyed the monster with little to no resistance. Pleased with its work, the spy monster slid its way back to Kiro's side.

Kiro-3650 LP  
Hachiro-2350 LP

"Wha...what!" Hachiro glanced at the score before looking up, a bead of sweat rolling down his brow. "Kiro Rinku, explain yourself."

"Gladly." Kiro smirked, a dark tint to his eye match the devilish tone in his voice. Whipping both of his arms up, Hachiro noticed that behind him, the strange temple card still held in effect. "Djeser-Djeseru not only serves as Necrovalley for all purposes, but it comes with a new ability as well. When a monster that include Gravekeeper in their title battles with a monster that is stronger in attack than it, 500 additional attack points are given to my monster. This gave Gravekeeper's Spy (2200/2500) enough power to blow your little acrobatic girly off the field."

Smirking, the Gravekeeper's Spy nodded as if to verify that what Kiro said was true, its attack points dropping back to normal (1700/2500).

A silence fell over the two of them, Kiro smirked with his success as Hachiro was still shocked that Kiro pulled something that he did not see coming. The icy air fell onto them, making them shiver a bit. Neither of them had thought about how cold it was, the intensity of the trial had made them block out all outside distractions.

Now though, the cold rushed down upon them from the slight wind that coursed its way through the stone walls of the valley. Kiro had to wonder how much colder it was away from Hachiro, remembering it was warmer near him.

Growling slightly impatient with the silence, Kiro finally decided to break it. "I end my turn."

Taking a deep breath, Hachiro reached for his own deck. Sliding the top card off of it ever so slowly, he looked pleased with its face. Holding it up, he showed it to Kiro. "I play this magic card, Giant Flood. With it, we discard all monster cards from our hands and on the field. I have to discard two of my cards." Hachiro explained, holding up the two he spoke of. A Flying Penguin and a Big-Tusked Mammoth (2000/1000). He quickly deposited them into the graveyard slot of his ice dueling disk.

From the field, the Gravekeeper's Spy was quickly swept away in a massive rush of water that flew down the valley. Screaming in pain, it finally vanished somewhere down stream in a burst of light.

The large crystal that still held Gravekeeper Kiro also began to move slowly with the current. Hair line cracks could be seen spider webbing across its purple colored surface. Shattering into razor sharp chucks, the weak monster that had been sealed inside fell into the rushing waters to be swept away as well.

Grabbing one of the two cards he held, Kiro slid his Gravekeeper's Vassal (700/500) into his graveyard to finish the effect of Giant Flood. Once the card had slid fully into the graveyard slot, the waters became totally stone still. It seems as if the glass like ice surface of the lake began to suck the water in with a but gulp. Puddles lined the floor between the two of them, but nothing left existed in the wake of the terrible flood.

"Ok then. My last card I will play then is called Salvage!" Hachiro smirked, sliding the card into his duel disk. Appearing before him in a ripple of yellow light, the card began to glow as it activated, forcing his graveyard to spit out the stack of cards it held in it.

Holding up the stack, Hachiro fanned the stack out and with is free hand, plucked two of the cards out. With one swift motion, he quickly deposited the rest of the cards back into the hole on his duel disk. Smirking, he held one of them up and quickly slapped it down on the ice plate.

"I summon my Flying Penguin (1200/1000) back to the field. Come in attack mode my great monster." Hachiro cried, his blue, winged eared bird monster appearing before him with a sour look on its face. Looking almost cruelly evil, the monster prepared to strike. "Go now! Direct assault!"

Scraping its way across the field, the monster jumped into the air, catching the wind with its large ears. Floating down as a glider, the monster dove straight for Kiro's chest. It began to squawk in a devilish noise as it moved to make the deadly attack.

Diving to the side in a great show of speed, Kiro managed to dive away from the bird, but not without injury. The bird ripped through Kiro's left shirt sleeve, and tore a chunk of flesh out of Kiro's arm. He could feel his warm blood running down his arm from the wound.

With a mimic of a bird, the Flying Penguin flapped its ears so it flew back to Hachiro's field were it rested again. Plopping down on the field before its master, the penguin gave an evil cackle with its accomplishment.

Kiro-2450 LP  
Hachiro-2350 LP

Hachiro had already slid the top card from his deck into his graveyard, looking up pleased but at the same time a bit disappointed, he said; "I end my turn."

Gritting his teeth, Kiro looked up at Hachiro. He was holding his right hand over his would on his shoulder. Blood could be seen between his fingers of the leather glove. Moving his hand, he quickly wiped his own blood on his pants and placed his bare fingertips on the top card of his deck.

"My turn. Draw!" He yelled, snapping the top card off and around his whole body. Hachiro wasn't sure, but it almost looked as if sparks could be seen flying through the air behind the card. "Magic card go! Pot of Greed!" He slid the card into the white duel plate with such quickness, that even he wondered for a second if he didn't also see sparks behind it.

"Two new cards!" Hachiro was surprised at the great top deck. He thought he had a good chance of Kiro being stuck without a monster after his Giant Flood, but Pot of Greed increased the chance of him getting something to defend with.

"Right." Kiro said as he slipped the top cards off his deck with his fingers. Fanning them out, he saw that they were going to be of great help. "Open set trap! Rite of Spirit!" Flipping up on his field, the said card began to ripple like a stone thrown into a lake. From the card image, the monster version of Kiro began to float forward. "I revive Gravekeeper Kiro (1800/1100) in attack mode!" Kiro cried out, his monster gaining the sudden boost of power from the field (2300/1600).

"Ok, so you brought yourself back to the field. What kind of tactic are you going to use to bring me down?" Hachiro questioned, a scared tone to his calm voice. He was shaking, but Kiro thought it was more from fear than the cold.

"Like this," He picked up the card that represented him. "I sacrifice Gravekeeper Kiro in order to summon forth; Secret Spirit Guard-Hebanu (2400/1800)!" His monster self began to groan as it started to grow larger. A sky blue robe appeared over his body in a flash of white light, floating down to a perfect fit. His hair shimmered into a sky blue color, and the eyes of the beast became sun yellow in color.

"Hebanu..." Was the only thing Hachiro could choke past his lips. His once calm demeanor gone in an instant.

"Secret Spirit Guard-Hebanu lets me discard cards in order to return that many cards on the field to their owners hands." Kiro explained, sliding one of the two cards he held into his graveyard. "I discard one card to send Flying Penguin back to your hand."

Smirking with a grin that Kiro had never really thought Hebanu was capable of producing, the spirit card raised its hands so its palms were pointed towards the blue bird. A spark of tan colored light flashed for a second, sending a lighting bolt towards the monster. Crashing into it, the monster seem to be vaporized off the field.

"DIRECT ATTACK!" Kiro bellowed right afterwards, the lighting attack continuing towards Hachiro's body. His fear filled, ice like eyes reflected the oncoming blast. Washing over his body, Hachiro felt the deadly attack through every limb of his body. Crashing to his knees on the glass like ice on which they dueled, the stone walls of the valley vanished, leaving the two of them standing on the lake.

Kiro-2450 LP  
Hachiro-0 LP

Kiro felt weak, like it had taken his own energy to send that last attack forth. He also fell to his knees on the ice. His first reaction was his hand snapping up to his left arm where he was still bleeding.

"Kiro Rinku." Hachiro's voice broke a lot, as he struggled to his feet. "Congratulations, you have succeeded in the test of the Warm Orange Moon. And what a fine duel it was."

"Thanks." Kiro growled, also slowly pushing himself to his feet. Around him, steam could be seen from the lake surface. Looking around quickly, he noticed that the air was becoming thick with this steam. Like a sudden heat wave had hit all the ice that covered everything. Quickly looking back to Hachiro, he noticed that the tester was now standing right in front of him. Putting his hands on Kiro's shoulders he began to speak again.

"You've improved greatly, the next test you shall incounter is that of the Metal Silver Moon. Take all that you have learned and you shall be fine." And with that, he gave Kiro an inhuman push that sent him flying through the air to the shore of the lake.

Crashing with a loud 'thump', Kiro felt all the wind knocked out of him. Laying there gasping for a second, he was looking directly up at the moon. The orange coloring it had taken had started to seep off, like the steam off the ice below. The normal coloring of the moon resumed from beneath the abnormal coloring.

All Kiro heard was a loud splash. Sitting up in a start, he saw the water he and Hachiro had stood not but moments again in a large pillar of white water. Looking down, Kiro noticed that his feet were still locked in side their ice prison, but the steam that floated off them made it practically disappear before his eyes.

"_Hachiro must have drowned...his ice block shoes must not have vanished like mine!"_ Kiro realized looking at the now watery surface of the lake.

_("Seems that way.")_ Heruru whistled in his head.

_("Yes it does.")_ Kooru agreed, a strange sadness to his voice. Taking a lighter tone, he spoke again. _("But hey, Kiro that deck of yours works just fine. It threw him off quite a bit I believe.")_

"_Yeah, I think it did."_ Kiro smiled with his own accomplishment before flopping back onto the now soft grass. It wasn't long before sleep seem to over took him, nature returning to normal around him.

* * *

"Seems Hachiro also failed." Lait seemed a bit depressed. She watched the lime green fire, that stood on the stone pillar belonging to Hachiro, flicker and put itself out. Looking up, she saw that the next in line was hers. 

"At first glance, he didn't seem to be strong enough to be the fifth tester." A new robed figure spoke, his voice seemed very noble and honorable as he spoke. It was much deeper than his slim body suggested he'd produce. Although covered in a solid black robe, it was apparent that he was fragile looking.

"True Daiki." The center figure looked at the remaining testers. Sitting down on the stone floor, they sighed heavily as they crossed their legs under the robe. "Andron was correct about this one, he has surpassed the expectations of even me."

"The spiritual energies wearing you out?" Comment rather slyly, the robed figurer standing next to the one identified as Daiki spoke up. "I had a lot of respect for Hachiro, even if he wasn't the strongest of us, he sure did know how to anger you in a game."

"That is true, Shiva." The robed figure, identified as Nori, spoke on his behalf. "All the previous testers that have fallen have been great. I give my respects to each one for their powers."

"Lait, Nori, Daiki, Shiva." The center figure stood up before the four last testers. "With Kiro Rinku's power increasing. I hope to see him finally release the three spirits he holds in his body. I am counting on the four of you to not let me down, is that clear?"

"Crystal!" The four of them roared before turning and disappearing into the shadows of the stone temple they inhabited.

Looking up, the center figure sighed. A less serious and more relax posture to their stance now. Their eyes rested on the five burning fires that still remained, flickering and casting a strange emerald light across the chamber.

* * *

Opening the door to the convenient store, Kaira and Chao stepped out into the now warm night air. Looking around them, everything had completely changed from what it was just earlier in the evening. Like time had resumed over the world, it appeared like nothing had transpired. 

"So, where do you suppose Kiro is?" Chao looked at the blond haired girl. He watched her head look down the street where they were heading before hand.

"I'm guessing he is that way." Kaira said, getting a 'no duh' look from Chao, but he didn't say anything.

The two of them set off down the street looking for Kiro, both of them silently hoping that he had won the duel and wasn't dead somewhere.

* * *

Katana looked over the ridge of the crater on the mountain. Kiro's grandfather stood next to her, both his and her eyes fixed on the moon hovering above the now peaceful city. The two of them stayed silent for quite some time, the warm night breeze blowing through their hair. 

"_What a strange power. The ice that covered the city vanished like that, and instantly its warm again."_ Katana thought, looking down at the brightly light city. In her hand, a few slips of paper and a small hand held note pad rested. She had been using these to write down information she gathered from the ruins.

"I have a feeling Kiro is still out there." Kiro's grandfather voice was reassuring to Katana. She didn't know why, but she seemed please to hear it from someone else. Smiling at him, she began to walk down the stairs that led down the hill side.

"I hope you are right. Either way, it is safer to travel home now." Stopping, she turned to look at him. "Thank you for your hospitality through that. Hope that we will see something of Kiro soon."

"I hope so too. Good night Ann." He returned her smile before disappearing over the ledge. Katana continued her downward voyage. The steep hill would have been far to dangerous for her to try and go down in the dark with the thin layer of ice covering everything.

Now the trail was clear, but still dark. Keeping her eyes on the ground so she didn't accidently fall, Katana was still deep in thought. Many things she had learned were rushing through her head as well as it being the fifth night of the trials. So much had happened in five nights, it was crazy for her to think about.

"_I bet it's even worse for Kiro, Kaira, and Chao."_ She quickly realized, taking a quick break to look up at the perfectly full moon. _"Eternity must have past for them. Kiro I bet is the worst, but those other two have been by his side through thick and thin."_ Sighing, she continued her walk down the hill. _"And I bet they plan to be until the end."_

With this thought, a sour look crossed her face. A rage could be seen flowing through her eyes under her narrowed brow.

"_But what will happen at the end? Will these demons be released into the world? What if they are, and they intend to do major damage?"_ Katana squeezed the papers in her hand tightly. She had to take a quick turn around a rock that the stair case wound around. _"I still haven't found anything that gives a clear answer as to what these demons want to do when they are released."

* * *

_

"Kiro!" Kaira cried out through cupped hands over her mouth. "Kiro where are you!" She cried again.

"Kiro!" Chao cried off in the other direction. No answer was heard.

"What do you suppose happen to him?" Kaira asked, fear filling her voice. "You don't think that he is..."

"Um..." Chao turned around to see that tears were starting to form in the corners of here light brown eyes. Beads of sweat formed on Chao's head as he looked at her trying not to cry. Stepping closer to her, he put his arm around her shoulder. "Its ok Kaira. I'm sure Kiro's alive and well. What do you say we find a place to sleep and continue looking in the light?"

"...Alright..." Kaira sniffled. Chao gently led her down the street, looking for a place that the two of them could safely crash for the night.

"_Don't make me a liar dude. Be alive, if not for your sake, but for hers." _Chao looked over his shoulder, hoping to see Kiro standing behind them. Sadly, he looked ahead of them again when he saw nothing.

Kaira was fighting back the tears that swelled in her eyes. Lifting her head, she looked off to the left. Smiling a bit, she saw a shimmering sheet of water that was the lake. It looked so beautiful in the moonlight, the surface completely still behind the tall trees. It fit perfectly in the indent in the ground so slops were all around it for as far as she could see.

"That's pretty!" She exclaimed, making the two of them stop to look at the lake surface. Chao staired at the lake for quite some time, thinking how beautiful it really did look.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" He asked, getting a nod from the girl. And with that, the two of them continued their journey down the street. Sadly for the two of them, they did not realize how close they were to Kiro's sleeping body.

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Hachiro down, Lait is next up. The trials and tribulations continue in the next chapter as always. And as always, give me your opinion. I always love to hear from the readers. Till next time, have a nice day!  
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	30. Battle to the Silver Moon Test

Chapter 30: Battle to the Silver Moon Test

The sun hadn't even rose on the day yet, the dusky sky still covered the realm of the city in a blanket of darkness. The diamond like stars twinkled high above the roof tops with their lasts effort before the sun were to blind them out with its warm rays.

Kaira sat against a stone wall looking up at the beautiful sky. She wasn't even trying to hid the lines of water that trickled from her eyes, one drop at a time. She couldn't explain it, but something deep inside was making her terribly sad.

Chao was laid out on the ground in a dark alley behind her, fast asleep and snoring loudly.

Kaira couldn't sleep. She hated being separate from Kiro, not knowing his fate during one of these trials. In such a short time, she had become strangely close to Kiro but really couldn't explain why.

"Please be alright, Kiro." Shewhispered under her breath, not taking her eyes off the star sprinkled sky for even an instant. Sighing slightly, she jumped when a hand was placed on her shoulder.

Chao slipped up next to her and sat on the side walk looking up at the star littered sky. Without even looking at her he began to speak.

"You like him don't you?"

"What!" Kaira was shocked, she reached out and hit him on the shoulder as hard as she could, which didn't hurt Chao a bit. Turning to look at her, he smiled with an 'sure you don't' expressions in his eye.

"They why do you sit here at night crying for him?" He questioned, making her blush and turn away from his gaze. Smirking with his success, Chao continued to prod it. "And then blush when I prove myself right?"

"Shut up! I do not like him." She retorted...not able to keep an eye contact with Chao. "Besides, who could like him? He could care less about anyone but himself."

"_The sad part is that, that is so very true."_ Chao leaned back so he was laying on the cold ground. The black blanket of night that covered the earth in its cold embrace seem to seize his gaze and drag it deep into its endless vortex. "Maybe he has changed. He really hasn't tried to get rid of us following him around all the time."

"Maybe..." Kaira leaned her head back against the wall and looked across the street to the dark store windows the lined the opposite side of the street. If she had to guess, it was about four or five in the morning, still no life in this part of the city, but the sky was starting to lighten with the growing sun.

"Since we are both awake, want to go find him?" Chao asked, sitting up next to her again. "Seems like were both wide awake."

"Yes, let's do that." She said, pushing herself up the wall till she was standing. Chao lifted himself on his own strength. Together, the two of them began to walk down the dark sidewalk.

"Your side still pain you?" Chao questioned, not looking at her but rather down the street they were walking on.

"Yes, but it's a lot better than it was." Kaira responded, turning her head to look at the boy that accompanied her.

"I noticed, you are moving a lot faster than before. Seems like it's healing well." Chao responded, still refusing to look down at the blond haired woman. Even at a faster pace, they were still moving slower than normal.

* * *

Kiro sat up and stretched. He felt very cramped and sore all over his body. Yawning, the stood up and scratched his chest. It was still dark out, but everything returned to it warm self around him. The night of ice was over. 

"Wow." He yawned again, starting to walk down the lake side. "Well that was an interesting way to spend the night." He said aloud, but since there was no one around, only three spirits that rested in his head heard him.

_("But think about the odds, Kiro.")_ Kooru yawned to, having woken up when Kiro did. _("You've made it halfway through the battles. Just make it the rest of the way and were going to be set free_!")

"_True...but,"_ He stopped walking and looking into the crystal clear surface of the lake. _"What will you do when you are free? You guys have never clarified that." _

_("We can't talk about it.")_ This answer was not what Kiro wanted to hear, and had it been later in the day, he might have pressed the matter further. Yawning, he continued to walk._ (" So, What about Chao and Kaira? Should we go back and look for them?")_

"_Nope, I'm going home. If there smart, they'll come up there."_ Kiro groaned, as if that was not what he wanted to say, but what he had to. There was no more conversation from the two of them for the rest of the trip up the hill.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky now, sending its warm rays of light through the cloudless lense of the sky all across the city. Shadows of birds flied across the ground as the creatures of the air soared through the nice day's sky. A cool, welcomed breeze was blowing, rustling leaves as it went through the branches of the trees. 

Kaira and Chao sat on a park bench, enjoying the day. Their search hadn't turned up hide or hair of their demon inhabited buddy. They both tried not to show it, but they were worried that his body was dead somewhere in a ditch by the side of a dirt road.

"Were getting no where." Chao sighed, letting his head flop back over the back of the park bench. "Seems the only way to find him is to wait until tonight and see if the moon has a change in color."

"True." Kaira agreed, standing up from the bench. Chao's head snapped up when she did this to see what she was doing. "But even so," she turned to look down at him. "We wouldn't know where to go to find where the test is taking place."

"Don't know what we'd do about that though." Chao responded, standing up next to her. Cranking his head, he looked around for a solution. "We could always get up high, like on a roof top or something, and see if we can't see some fireworks." Chao suggested, thinking of no better answer.

"Seems good to me." Kaira smiled, but quickly turned her head and looked out over the buildings that lined the street. She was still very unnerved about not finding Kiro anywhere. Was he alive? She wished she knew.

"Come on, Huang will probably let us hang out at the card shop." Chao suggested, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Unless you'd rather go to school. We could still make about half a day." A stupid smile crossed his face, making her giggle a bit.

"No. Lets just go to that card shop." Kaira smiled, happy to laugh a bit. Together, they began to make their way towards the card store.

* * *

As the day seemed to slip away, the sun cranked its path across the vast sky. The warm and bright lights of day were shifting into long, chilled shadows stretched on the ground. 

Kiro sat atop the stone roof of the temple, staring out at the vast city that lay far below the mountain top. The sky was starting to darken with the coming night, the stars beginning to appear in the fading blue sky. The horizon was turning pink and purple as the sun was dipping down to shed its light on the other side of the globe.

The hair on the back of his neck was sticking up, his senses fully alert like a wild wolf realizing an intruder was in its territory. The demons could feel that with the rising of the moon, the tester was appearing in the city somewhere. Rising to his feet, Kiro leapt from the room and landed very skillfully on the rocky ground below.

"_Time to face the next tester."_ Kiro said to the demons in his head, getting nods from all three of them. Taking a run, he quickly cleaned the top ridge of the mountain side and landed on the stairs below. Taking it two steps at a time, Kiro made his way skillfully down the side of the hill.

_("What kind of tactics will this tester employ on us?")_ Hebanu questioned, looking around the soul room they were in to get rather rude shrugs form the other two spirits.

_("I wish we knew.")_ Kooru sourly replied, sitting down into a meditative state and closing his eyes. Heruru just leaned up against one of the 'walls' of the room and continued to watch the world fly past through Kiro's eyes.

Kiro's feet were on the level ground below the mountain before too long. Looking around, Kiro saw the moon making its way up the darkening sky. The color of it was indeed metallic, shiny and reflective. Like liquid metal had been dropped onto the stone face of the perfect sphere.

Kiro's eyes widened and the hair on the back of his neck became stiff and hard enough to actually pierce skin. Jerking his head to his left, his body rotated until he saw a black robed figure standing about a yard away from him.

This figure was significantly smaller than Kiro in size, about that of a 10 year old child. Even though most of its face was shadowed by the hood drawn up over its head, the mouth and chin shown in the light of the street light. Looking feminine in appearance, Kiro assumed this tester was a young girl. Surprisingly, he was right.

"Kiro Rinku I presume." The child like, girly voice came from the pink lips of the tester. Nodding with out a word, Kiro gestured to the girl that she had the right person. "Good, follow me so we can do the trial of the Metal Silver Moon." And with that, the girl began to float down the street that ran around the mountain.

Taking off in a dead run, Kiro went after the girl. Surprisingly, she was much faster than he expected her to be, and she got away from him. Floating around the winding road, she disappeared behind a protruding incline in the mountain side. When he finally made it around rock formation, he saw her standing on a pillar of rocks that jutted up from the side of the mountain in a small indent.

The cannon was lined with rough looking rocks with a large back wall jutting a straight 90 degrees upwards. Kiro saw that a completely carved rock lay on the ground opposing where the tester stood. It was circular in design, big enough to hold Kiro and have plenty of room to walk around.

Walking up to the rock, without words between either competitor, Kiro jumped on the rock and it began to shoot upwards from the ground til it was even level with the black robed figure. They weren't as high in the air as Kiro had been while facing Gallus, but he was still grateful that the stone wall was directly behind his platform so he wouldn't be flying off backwards in the event of a wild attack.

"Alright." The tester announced, ripping off her rob and letting it float to the ground below. She whore a strange pink garment that covered her body fully, stopping at her shoulders. It seemed to Kiro to be some sort of pajamas. Her bare skin around her neck through freaked Kiro out as reptilian like gray scales were seen stopping just before her actual neck. "I am Lait, tester of the Metal Silver Moon. Kiro Rinku, are you prepared to face what I have to offer?"

"Enough babbling already." Kiro growled, holding up his left arm that already had the white wrist gadget attached to it. Holding it horizontally in front of his body, the pure white dueling plate flashed into existence from the glass lenses on the front. "Let's just get this over with."

"Don't rush me!" Lait snapped, holding her left are up towards the night sky. That is when Kiro noticed that the silver moon seemed to rest perfectly in the cannon walls view. Coming up over the mountain and straight across the clearing. From the side of Lait's arm, the pink fabric was ripped away as a large mass of scales shot outward. Fanning open, a dueling plate like skeleton formed with tan membrane like fibers running between each end. Scales shot up, dividing the membrane into five equal sections.

Holding a deck of cards in her right hand, she quickly slid it into a slot that was on the neck of the dueling plate. Below it, a hole for the graveyard appeared. Kiro mimicked the motion with his own deck, sliding it into the white wrist gadget that was on his arm. Neither of them took any time in pulling the top cards off their deck for their opening hands.

"Now, I am here to be your sixth test. I see that Hachiro was easy enough for you to overcome." Pointing to Kiro, she smiled a bit as she talk. Moving her hand to the top card of her deck, she announced; "I'm starting this match off!"

Kiro-5000 LP  
Lait-5000 LP

Sliding the top card off her deck, Lait didn't waste any time in slapping it down onto the dueling plate. Instantly, a large green dragon type monster appeared before her in a ripple of yellow light. Hunched over on four legs, the dragon arched its neck and roared at Kiro.

"First, I summon Blackland Fire Dragon (1500/800) in attack mode." She announced the name of her monster as it roared again. Pulling another card from her hand she quickly slid it into a small hole in the scaled structure of the dueling plate. "Set one card face down behind it, and I end my turn."

"My move! Draw!" Kiro yelled, snapping the top card from its place on his deck and sliding it into his hand of cards. _"Great, tons of magic cards, but little monster cards to work with."_ He grimaced at the sight of so many green bordered cards. "I'll just set one monster in face down defense mode to start with."

Appearing before him, the brown backed card that represented the set monster appeared to defend him from oncoming attacks. Sliding another card from his hand he quickly placed it in his duel disk.

"Magic card go! Pot of Greed also activates this turn, letting me draw twice more." Kiro slid two more cards from his deck and quickly added them to his hand. Pulling one finial card from the six cards he now held, he quickly placed it into the duel disk. "I also set out Gravekeeper's Servant to finish my turn."

"Gravekeeper's Servant will make me discard cards in order to attack." Lait smirked, pulling the top card from her deck as she spoke. "It is a nice card, but not enough in this game. I play the magic card Stamping Destruction! With its effect, I destroy one magic or trap card on the field since I have a face up dragon on my field."

Roaring with a sudden burst of energy, the large green dragon flapped its wings, making a gliding swoop at the continuous magic card. Seeping through the card, the image shattered like a rock hitting glass. The Blackland Fire Dragon swooped instantly back to Lait's field.

"Not only that, but Stamping Destruction will do 500 damage to your life points directly." Lait's voice almost mocking as the shards of the card rained over Kiro. Shielding himself from the onslaught didn't seem to help as the sharp card slivers gave him small dotted wounds over his arms.

Kiro-4500 LP  
Lait-5000 LP

"Come out my next dragon of destruction!" Lait wasted no time in slapping another of her cards onto the tan membrane of her duel disk. Before her, a purple twin headed dragon monster appeared on the field. Roaring, each of the insides of their mouths were different colors. One was green while the inside of the other one was blood red. "Twin-Headed Behemoth (1500/1200)!"

Opening its maw, the green scaled dragon began to form a large ball of black and red flames. Perfectly spherical, the ball continued to grow in the mouth of the monster.

"Blackland Fire Dragon, attack his set defender! Blackland Fire Strom!" With the order from Lait, the obedient dragon monster sent the orb of fire bursting out of its mouth toward the brown backed card that rested on Kiro's field.

"Nice try, but you ran into a trap!" Kiro yelled out with the eruption of flames over his set card. Revealing a tan colored warrior beneath it holding a pike across its body. "Gravekeeper's Guard (1000/1900) not only has enough defense to ward off your attack, but also send your Twin-Headed monster back to where it came from."

"What!" Lait was a bit more than shocked as the new guardian monster began to glow in a pinkish aura. Waves of red light burst off of it, crashing into her newly summoned beast and forcing it to disappear into the thin air around them.

Kiro-4500 LP  
Lait-4600 LP

"Fine." Seeming really angry, Lait picked up the card off her duel disk and slid it into her hand. Her arms falling to the side, she looked like a little kid pouting. "I end my turn." She grumbled out over a pushed forward lower lip.

"Oh, don't you throw a temper tantrum on me!" Kiro yelled back to the girl as he reached for the top card of his deck. "Draw!" Scanning the card, he slid it into his duel disk plate. "I set one card face down and end my move." He called out, the set card appeared below him in a flash of light.

"Draw." Lait drew her card slowly, still looking like she was pouting. Sliding the new card in between cards she was already holding, she pulled out one of the other cards and slapped it down onto her duel disk. "I summon back my Twin-Headed Behemoth in defense mode, and shift Blackland Fire Dragon to defense mode. I end." Her child like face was just making Kiro angry, he slashed the top card of his deck through the air with full force as he drew.

"I play Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier (1500/1000) in attack mode!" He blasted out, slamming the card onto the duel plate. The Egyptian clad warrior appeared before him like many times before, whipping his golden staff through the air. "Spear Soldier, attack her Blackland Fire Dragon now! Spear Stab!"

"Weeeee!" Lait screamed out, suddenly happy again. "Open set card! Shift will let me move your attack to my behemoth!" Glowing, the card seemed to make the Spear Soldier take its own action, lunging at the twin-headed dragon monster. Thrusting the spear forward, the staff went easily through the monster. Exploding into small data particles that crashed into the rocky surface around them, the dragon seemed to be destroyed.

"And that did you what?" Kiro cocked an eyebrow at the girl who was jumping around slightly on her rock disk platform. "Spear Soldier still deals you damage through defense so you just lost 300 more points."

Kiro-4500 LP  
Lait-4300 LP

"But I didn't lose my monster, observe!" She yelled downward to where the bits of data from the dragon rested. Floating upwards rather slowly, the bits of data seemed to be gathering together into a ball on Lait's field.

"_Crap, she's right."_ Kiro realized as the bits of data continued to group together. _"Because it was destroyed in battle, that Twin-Headed Behemoth comes back during my end phase. Weaker, but it still comes back."_ Looking up, he growled at the child like jumping Lait was still doing. "I end my move then."

With those words, the bits of data took form, creating once again the Twin-Headed Behemoth in defense mode (1000/1000).

"Back to me." Lait spun around like a little kid, overjoyed with her move. "Draw." Pulling her top card off her deck while she spun about, she appeared to not even care what it was. Finally stopping, she picked up the two cards that rested on her duel disk. "I sacrifice both my dragons to summon forth something better!" Slapping down the card on her duel disk, a beam of light instantly shot off of it. "Silver-Backed Death Dragon (2600/2400)!"

Fading into the pillar of light produced by the card, the green and purple dragons faded away, leaving something a lot bigger in their place. A deep blue scaled dragon monster appeared on the field. A line of silver scales ran from its head to the tip of its tail, and down the tops of two large wings that protruded out form the back of the beast. The membrane of the wings was murky, showing only the blue veins that ran through it. Standing on its hind legs, the new dragon towered over the field. Arching its neck, it snorted fire and dark gray smoke out of its nostrils.

"Silver-Backed Death Dragon, attack his Spear Soldier now!" Lait yelled out, thrusting her arm forward with the attack. "Flames of Death!"

"Or." Kiro simply said, pointing to the set card that rested on his field. "I flip my set trap card now! Book of Moon is handy to shift your monster into face down defense mode. Thus saving my monsters, and my life points." Smirking as his set card flipped up and began to glow brightly.

"What!" Lait was awestruck as well as angered that her large dragon monster suddenly became no more than a brown backed card on her field. Stomping her foot on the ground in frustration, Lait crossed her arm and again stuck out her bottom lip. "Fine meanie. I end my move."

"Draw!" Kiro yelled before snapping the top card off his deck and peered at its face. _"I did good at stopping that dragon beast that last attack, but I hate to think of what would happen next turn when she is allowed to re-flip it."_ Kiro grimaced as he slid the card into his duel disk. "I set one card face down on my duel disk and shift my Spear Soldier to defense mode to end my move."

"Then you haven't accomplished a single thing!" Lait accused Kiro by pointing a shaking index finger. "I take my next card and flip my dragon back to attack mode!" Sliding the top card off her deck, she proceeded to flip her set card. Before her, the deep blue scaled dragon roared back into life. "Lets try this again! Flames of Death!" She yelled out, pointing to the plump monster guard.

Within its jaw, a silver sphere of fire began to burn. Black flames licked up through it from time to time. Opening its mouth as wide as it would stretch, the beast sent a wave of pure silver and black flames bursting forward towards the defending monster. Engulfing the beast, the monster was instantly incinerated.

Kiro-4000 LP  
Lait-4300 LP

Kiro was trying to shield himself from the intense heat that ripped through his monster. He felt some of the flames licking at him and forcing him to back up on the round stone platform. Slowly, the heat died down and Kiro moved his arms from his face. The front of the stone pillar he stood on was completely charred black. The next thing Kiro noticed was that his life had dropped.

"What did you dragon do to my life?" Kiro angerly asked, making the little girl giggle with her childlike pleasure.

"When the Silver-Backed Death Dragon destroys a monster in defense mode, half the attack of that monster is deducted from the life points of my opponent." She explained before crossing her arms around her stomach and laughing.

Kiro was angry, but he also felt a strange fear. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his head.

* * *

"Did you see that!" Kaira screamed, pointing off towards the mountain where Kiro lived. 

"I did." Chao nodded that he had seen what Kaira was talking about. Just seconds before, a large silver colored light had exploded into the night. That, along with the colored moon gave them both the hope that Kiro was still alive and, at the present moment, fighting the sixth tester.

"Lets get going!" Kaira was hyper, bouncing slightly. Nodding, Chao and her began to make their way down from the roof they were occupying via a fire escape latter.

At present, they weren't to far from the mountain, but far enough it was going to take some time to reach it. That, and with Kaira's side still slowing them down, it was going to take even longer.

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Well, well, well. What do I have to say. The next chapter, but this one is special. Why? Because of the fact that today, one year ago, I first signed up here and started writing my stories. Its been one hell of year, and I'm happy I'm still hard at it. That, and I really don't have time to be posting this chapter, but just because of the date, I _made_ the time. Hope you all enjoyed it, and I'll be back soon with the next chapter. Life is just crazy at times.

Here's hoping I'll be around for a while yet. Thank you, again, myreaders.Everyone, just have a nice day!   
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	31. Summon! Five Headed Devastation

Chapter 31: Summon! Five Headed Devastation

"If your wondering what I'm going to do next, I'll tell you." Lait smirked, holding a card in her hand. "I set one monster in defense mode to end my move. Doubt you can compete with what my powerhouse dragon has to offer anyways."

Kiro looked out over the back of his defending Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier (1500/1000), the only thing between his life and the dark blue dragon monster breathing down his neck, the Silver-Backed Death Dragon (2600/2400). He had a set card on the field, but Kiro was a bit shaky on it.

"Draw!" Kiro yelled, snapping the top card of his deck through the air until it rested before his face. _"In defense mode, my monster would deal me 750 points of damage from being destroyed by the Silver-Backed Death Dragon. Opposed to it being in attack mode and me losing 1100 from the attack."_ Looking up, he saw the childlike grin of joy on Lait's face. _"I will not let her get another dragon monster like that out on me!"_ Grabbing the card on his duel disk with some force, he slapped it back down onto the duel plate. "I shift Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier into attack mode (1500/1000)!"

Shifting upright, the spear holding monster twisted its staff through the air with great ease and prepared for the sign from Kiro. Slashing the razor sharp blade through the air, the monster finally stopped the staff, pointing the end directly at Lait.

"Spear Solder, attack her set monster now! Spear Stab!" Kiro gestured forward, pointing to the black dot center of the brown backed card. Running forward, the monster hurtled the spear into the center of the card, forcing it to blow apart instantly. "And as you should know, Spear Soldier has the great power of dealing you the damage through defense. So lets see what you got shall we." Kiro's smug voice echoed across the stony field.

Kiro-4000 LP  
Lait-3900 LP

Holding up the card, Lait showed the face of the card to be an orange bordered dragon monster. The image was that of a red skinned dragon with tan coloring covering the back of the body from the tip of its tail to the back of its head, and all the way down its limbs.

"Masked Dragon (1400/1100) lets me pull a dragon family monster from my deck and summon it to the field that has 1500 or less attack power." Pulling her stack of cards out of her deck holder, Lait began to shift through the cards till she came to one she wanted. "I summon the dragon monster; Gray Wing (1300/700) in attack mode."

Despite the name, a gray scaled dragon appeared floating in the air next to the silver-backed ally. It flapped its long, white wings to stay afloat in the air. Whipping its tail from side to side, the monster's reptilian eyes focused in on the spear holding opponent. Opening its mouth, it hissed at it, whipping its tongue out then back into its mouth before snapping its jaw shut.

"Don't know what good that did you." Kiro grumbled, looking at the weaker dragon monster. Pulling one card from his hand he slid it into his duel disk. "I set one card face down and have to end my turn."

"It'll do me enough good to stomp you out. But before that," Lait slipped the top card of her deck into her hand. Glancing at its face, she quickly inserted it into her scaly duel disk. "I play a magic card you should remember, Stamping Destruction can destroy your set card on the field and deal you 500 life points of damage!"

Appearing behind her two dragons, the magic card shimmered with a yellow light. Just as the two reptilian beasts prepared to cross the field to destroy one of Kiro's set cards, Kiro waved his arm out to the side as one of them flipped open.

"I open my trap, Curse of Royal!" Kiro cried as his trap card flipped open. From its card image, pale sickly looking spirit monsters howled out. Crossing the field, they circled the magic card, cackling in an evil ghostly way. "When you activate a magic or trap card that has the effect of destroying a magic or trap card on the field, I can use Curse of Royal to negate and destroy it."

"What!" Lait was more than shocked when the sickly ghosts began to float through the card hologram. The color slowly drained from it until it was all in gray scales, exploding shortly afterwards. "Fine, I still have more than enough to defeat you. I discard one card from my hand to the graveyard." Holding up the card with its back still towards Kiro, Lait slid it into her grave yard slot, smiling all the while.

"What?" Kiro eyed Lait carefully. "You can't just discard a card from your hand to the graveyard. Its against the rules!" He screamed across the field to her.

"Shut up!" She screamed back at him. "Don't you dare yell at me Kiro Rinku! I know how to play the game. Silver-Backed Death Dragon, attack and destroy Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier!" Opening its jaws again, the large blue dragon formed a silver fire ball coursing with black flames. With a roar from its throat, the dragon sent the fire ball bursting forth from its mouth towards the tan Egyptian warrior.

"No you don't! Open trap card!" Kiro whipping his arm through the air as his last set card flipped open. "It's called Desert Sunlight, and it lets me shift all the monsters on my side of the field into face up defense position." Kiro explained as his spear wielding monster slid to his knees before the silver flame sphere ripped him to shreds.

Kiro-3250 LP  
Lait-3900 LP

"But you then lost half of its attack power from your life points. You didn't get away without a scratch!" Lait still seemed pleased, even if she didn't get as much damage as she had hopped for. Pointing, he gray scaled dragon rushed across the field. "Gray Wing, direct attack now! Dragonic Bite!"

Gliding with the greatest of ease, the dragon reached Kiro in little time. Biting down on his arm just above his duel disk. Kiro's eyes widened in pain with not only the attack, but the wound he still had there from the Flying Penguin assault in his duel with Hachiro. Gritting his teeth, Kiro held back the scream building in his troat.

Kiro-1950 LP  
Lait-3900 LP

"Oh Kiro Rinkuuuu." Lait cried out from her side of the field as she spun around on her toes. "Remember that card you said I couldn't discard? Well, Gray Wing allowed me to. Because I did, he can attack twice this turn so..." She let her words trail off as blood curdling screams came from Kiro's mouth.

Bolts of lightning seem to spark out from where the winged reptilian had its jaw locked on Kiro's shoulder. Kiro's eyes rolled upwards as the screams rushed out of his mouth. Letting go, the Gray Wing flew back to Hachiro's field, circling the navy blue ally on its side of the field before resting in its own monster card zone.

* * *

Kaira slid to a stop in the street. Her eyes were wide with terror as the scream echoed across the city. Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes again. 

"_No!"_ Her mind screamed, she wanted to take off running, but her feet were cemented to the ground. _"Kiro...no...please don't die."_

Chao stopped jogging and turned around to see Kaira completely frozen up. He had heard the scream to, but he hadn't thought to stop. Seeing the hurt expression on Kaira's face, Chao imminently knew what thoughts were racing through her mind.

"_Kiro, was that the end?"_ Chao questioned, turning back towards the mountain were they were racing. Turning back, he saw Kaira flop to her knees on the cold ground. A pain shot through her torso from the wound that branded her side, but she didn't pay any mind to it.

Running back to her, Chao knelt down beside her. "Kaira, were not sure that he's dead just yet. We've got to keep going and hope we can find them." This wasn't even enough to get a response out of her, here eyes seem to grow distant, absent of any life at all. Sighing, Chao had to think of a way to get her to keep going. "Kiro is a strong guy. He can take a lot, but he can't do it all alone. He need support from the only friends he seems to have. We need to get there to be there for him."

Nodding absently, she turned her head so her blank eyes were looking at Chao. Smiling rather dumbly, she looked a bit stupid.

"I think I hurt my side when I fell to the ground...could you carry me?"

Chao face dropped at this. A stupid little grin appeared in the corner of his mouth and his eyes closed. _"That was weird."_ He simply thought as his head tilted up and down slowly. "Sure."

* * *

Kiro-650 LP  
Lait-3900 LP 

Kiro fell slowly face forward, crashing to the floor of the stone slab. His head, after the initial shock of the hit, rested on the slab. Thoughts raced through his mind at the speed of light, but his eyes were blank and empty.

"_Come on Kiro, get up. I'm not done having fun with you yet."_ Lait smirked, a childish grin of pure evil. Eyes shifting downward to her hand of three cards, her eyes rested on one of the cards, the middle of them. The green bordered card was titled; Dragon's Mirror. _"I haven't even got to see if you can stand up to something of this calabur yet. I'm just playing with you."_

Kiro's body surged with pain, a tingling numbness was the only relief he found. His fingers pressed into the rough surface of the brown rock, trying to push himself upright. This seemed to be more of a waste of energy than anything, as it got Kiro nowhere.

_("Kiro, you ok?")_ Hebanu's voice came soothingly from his head. Kiro could only grunt back at him. Rolling a bit, Kiro finally began to find the strength to stand up. His feet spread wide for balance, Kiro swayed back and forth. His eyes were burning with hatred, anger and frustration.

"MY TURN!" His voice roared, using all his energy left in his left arm to hold it up so his right hand could freely snap the top card off his deck and swing it through the air. His eyes widened when he saw what it was. _"Royal Tribute would do me some good if I had Necrovalley. But I really need a monster card."_ Kiro complained, taking one of the other cards from his hand and quickly inserting it into his duel disk. "I have to activate the magic card, Harmless Trade! This card takes one card from my hand and puts it in my deck. Once I shuffle it, I get to draw a new card."

Taking out his deck while he explained, his left arm was shaking violently with the strain he was putting on it. Placing Royal Tribute back on his deck, he began to shuffle it as quickly as he could. Sliding it back into his duel disk, the top card was pulled off and held up to Kiro's face. Grabbing one of the green bordered cards in his hand already, he slapped the card that he had drawn down onto his duel disk.

"I summon Gravekeeper's Cannonholder (1400/1200) in attack mode!" Kiro's voice was strained, the pain shooting through his arm intense now. As the card hit the platform, his left arm gave out and fell to his side to rest. On the field before Kiro, the Egyptian warrior with the red wood cannon appeared. Lifting the weapon, the monster pointed it at Lait's two monsters.

Sweat flowed down from Kiro's hair. Rolling down his face, Kiro had to wipe his eyes clean with the heel of his right hand so his eyes wouldn't become blurry. The rough leather of the glove was hard on his skin, but it didn't matter to him. Slowly, he moved the card he still held there towards the pure white dueling plate, lifting his arm only slightly this time to accommodate it.

"Magic card go! Gravekeeper's Muscle Burst!" Kiro cried, his left arm swaying back and forth as he let it go limp again. The cannon bearing monster on his field began to course with a light blue aura, his body becoming obviously more refined and sharpened. His muscles bulged out from under his black cloths. "This doubles the attack of one Gravekeeper monster on my field. (2800/1200)." Kiro explained, his monster taking aim at the navy blue, silver striped dragon. "Attack now!" He bellowed, his monster letting a burst of energy erupt from the weapon he now held on his shoulder.

Rushing into the chest of the dragon, the Silver-Backed Death Dragon roared in immense pain as the ball of white and yellow energy ripped a burning hole through its body. A plume of smoke could be seen rising form the hole being formed. Right in the center of its back, the cannon ball of light burst out and flew upwards into the sky. Howling, the dragon monster staggered a bit before exploding in a flaming death.

Kiro-650 LP  
Lait-3700 LP

Breathing hard, Kiro spit up a glob of blood and quickly wiped away some that didn't get all the way past his lips. His monster on the field lowered its smoking barrel, its body returning to normal (1400/1200). A smirk began to form at the corner of Kiro's mouth, despite how much pain he was in.

"What you say to that Miss Big Shot?" He chocked out, a glimmer of pride running through his eyes. "I will end my turn at that."

"If that is what you want to do." Lait smiled, a bit child like as she drew her next card and held it to her face. _"Sadly, this is over now."_ Lait slid it into her hand, grabbing the card that was next to it. Pulling it upwards slowly, she stopped when it was just above her hand. _"Why am I hesitating?"_

Kiro looked at her stop, just blankly staring at whatever card she was holding in her hand slightly above the others. His gaze shifted to his left arm that dangled at his side. His shirt was ripped open, blood soaked a ring around the hole where it was open. Lines of his own blood could be seen running down his arm, under his sleeve and then out on his elbow. It was slowly making its way down his arm still.

"_Dammit."_ He growled, looking at the wound. The pain was only subdued by the roaring numbness that shot up his right side. Looking back at his opponent, he saw her slid the card back down into her hand.

"_I'll give him one turn."_ She decided, moving the dragon card on her membrane duel disk horizontally. "I shift Gray Wing into defense mode and end my turn." She announced, her scaly beast curling up over its card image.

"_Did she hesitate!"_ Kiro's eyes widen at realizing this. A wave of anger flushed through his eyes as he saw this. "What are you doing! Your supposed to test me! What are you holding back for?" He roared out, whipping his good arm through the air. His voice more of a snarl now.

"Cause I wanted to." Lait pouted, pushing out her bottom lip again. "I do what I feel I need to, to test your skills." She crossed her arms in front of her as she spoke. _"Besides, I think you have already proven to have the skills needed, it would be a shame to finish you off this quickly."_

"Whatever." Kiro growled, taking a deep breath before attempting to lift his left hand up. Pain surged through his body, but he continued to lift it up so his duel disk was even with him. With his right hand, he pulled the top card off his deck. "I set this card on the field, then send Gravekeeper's Cannonholder to destroy your Gray Wing now!"

As the set card appeared behind it in a flash of light, the cannon holding monster hefted the large red wood weapon onto its shoulder. Taking careful aim, it shot a blast of yellow and white energy at the monster. Hurdling through the air, the cannon ball of energy crashed into the lizard, blowing it right off the card and flying backward into the mountain side. The force of impact made a large thud, and the sound of many frail bones breaking echoed. Soon after, the lizard vanished into thin air.

"Now, if you not such a coward on this turn, try to actually beat me. That is the point." Kiro let his left arm rest at his side again.

"What?" Lait screamed, stomping her foot on the ground and rolling her shoulders forward. "How dare you! I'll show you who the coward is! Draw!" She yelled, snapping the top card from her deck and slashing it through the air. "I play the magic card; Dragon's Mirror!"

"Dragon's Mirror?" Kiro cocked an eye brow as she slid the card into her dueling plate. The card appeared in front of her showing a red dragon popping out of a golden mirror. "A little explanation."

"Shut up and I'll tell you." Lait snapped back, pulling out the stack of cards that was her graveyard. Fanning them out, she grabbed five of the cards. "Dragon's Mirror lets me fuse monsters from my field or graveyard to make a dragon-type fusion monster." She explained before flipping the cards over. "Your finished. I fuse together: Blackland Fire Dragon, Twin-Headed Behemoth, Masked Dragon, Gray Wing and my Silver-Backed Death Dragon to call forth something even more wicked!"

"What are you talking about? What kind of fusion is this?" Kiro seemed panicked as he saw the five named dragons appearing behind Lait. They began to swirl, creating a vortex of colors. Each of them was roaring, creating a melody of noise.

"With the fusion of these five creatures, I create the unstoppable Five God Dragon (5000/5000)!" Lait screamed into the sky, the vortex behind her began to produce a shadowy body that was growing in size.

The massive dragon monster stood on the field above Lait, its tan scaly body was rather human shaped. Hunched over slightly, it let its tail whip freely through the air. From its shoulder, five long necks shot upward, each with a different coloring. Starting from the left hand side, a head made of complete and total fire burst upwards into a head. Next to it, an aqua blue head rested. In the middle, a pale tan head jutted upwards. Followed by a black head and then a metal looking one.

"The wha..." Kiro was speechless, the large monster that towered high above him roared once, sending waves of fear coursing through the sound waves, into every living thing around.

"You heard me." Lait smirked, her beast making her child like appearance seem like an act. "This is the Five God Dragon, a beast that is totally unstoppable. Not only does it come with 5000 attack and defense points, but it cannot receive battle damage from monsters of Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, or Darkness. It is unstoppable!"

"..." Kiro had his mouth open, trying to form words. This is the strongest monster any of the testers had summoned on him during the trials. Nothing matched the raw power of this beast.

"Finish this! Penta-God Dooms Day!" Lait roared up to her monster, opening its mouths, the monster began to obey the young girl. Flames, Water, Lightning, Blackness, and Air began to form in each of the heads. Growing in size, the attacks were becoming ferocious as the built in power.

Down the street, Chao was jogging as fast as he could with Kaira clinging to his back. Sliding to a stop, his eyes widened as he saw the giant beast preparing for its attack. Sliding off his back, Kaira moved around to the side of him, her jaw handing open at the same large behemoth of a dragon preparing to launch its strike on Kiro.

Whipping its five heads forward, the dragonic beast sent the waves of attacks bursting out of its mouths towards the lone monster defending on Kiro's field. As the blasts ripped through the air, waves of energy and heat burst out that made Kiro, Chao, and Kaira feel really uncomfortable. The blast crashed into the Egyptian warrior monster, sending a loud explosion ripping through the city.

* * *

Katana's head snapped up from the papers she was looking over at a desk. Jumping up, she ran to the front door where she was met by Deo, Izumi, and Michi. Looking out, the four of their heads shifted towards the mountain side where the sound originated from. They all saw dark, gray smoke billowing upwards into the dark sky. Floating up, the smoke continued to cover the silverish moon that rested above the mountain. 

With a silent agreement, the four of them took off towards the mountain.

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And we meet again. The usual; work, work, and more work. I never seem to get a break. Oh well, I refuse to let you guys, my loyal readers, down. So here you go, Kiro is now up against one of the strongest monsters in the entire game attack and effect wise. To find out how this battle comes to a close, you'll just have to keep watching for my next chapter. Until then, have a nice day!  
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	32. A Death to One A Birth to the Other

Chapter 32: A Death to One. A Birth to the Other

"I win Kiro Rinku. I am so sorry it had to be like this." Lait yelled over the explosion her massive dragon was producing. Smoke swept past her face with the intensive attack, filling the small valley with its dark, choking cloud.

"Kiro!" Kaira screamed, the tears again beginning to form in her eyes. The smoke clouded her vision, making it impossible to see Kiro's body. Fear rising in her heart, making her body tremble with the loss she just sustained.

Seconds felt like days, flowing by with incredible slowness. In which time, each ticking second that went by was filled with unbelievable stabbing pains. The smoke continued to billow upwards into the sky, making the air thick with dust and dirt.

No one moved, no one said a word. Lait was even very curious as to what the attack had done to Kiro's body.

Then, suddenly it dawned on her that something wasn't right. The smoke started to clear, and Kiro was standing on his circular stone pillar. Head bowed, starting down at his the ground below. Both of his arms were draped at his side limp, his left arm still bleeding profusely.

Kiro-650 LP  
Lait-3700 LP

"Wait, what happened?" Lait questioned, baffled at how Kiro was untouched. With the smoke clearing more, she noticed that the Gravekeeper's Cannonholder also remained on the field. Though battle torn and looking sickly pale, it was still holding its cannon on it shoulder with a look of fire burning in its eyes. _"Did he save himself?"_

The question hung in the air like wet towels on a clothesline. No response was given though as no one dared say a word, hence they miss any slight answer. Even the five headed dragon monster stifled its growls from inside its multiple throats, as if to see why its victim was still standing.

Kiro was the first to move in ages it seemed. Coughing, splatters of blood seemed to appear on the stone below. Lifting his head, he glared at Lait with anger filled orbs in his head. A tint of hate seemed to seep out of the red colored eyes, drifting in front of his face.

"...activated my set trap card, Lait..." Kiro sputtered past the dry, burning lump in his throat. Nodding towards his duel disk, he pulled out his set card. Holding it up so she could see. "...Negate Attack stopped the attack..."

"_NEGATE ATTACK?"_ Lait screamed in her head, eyes wide with disbelief. _"I handed him one turn to pull a god draw on me? How...why...what luck..."_ Her thoughts became frantic as she searched over him again to see if he was pulling some kind of joke, an ill humored prank. It wasn't.

Sliding the purple card into his graveyard, Kiro had to turn his head away and cough up a few more blobs of blood. Wiping his mouth afterwards, he glared again at Lait as if to say 'its all your fault'.

"I...end my turn." She sputtered out, still a bit shocked at the outcome of that exchange. Then a thought occurred to her. _"I hesitated, and fate gave him what he needed, that is more proof of his worth I think. Isn't it?"_ Her question went unanswered as Kiro slid the next card off his deck.

Once the card was in his right hand, his trembling left arm dropped limp to his side again. The strain was causing pain to rush through his face, followed each time by a flood of anger. "I draw." He spit past his inflamed esophagus, wishing desperatly for some kind of liquid based relief.

Though none was in sight. Kiro knew he would have to suffer through it.

"I set one card face down on my field." He said, his right arm sliding the card into his duel disk from its position on his limp arm. Though awkward, he managed to slip the card into the dueling plate. With a violent shaking, he lifted his left arm and grabbed the three card handout of it and held them in his right hand, fanning them out.

With some impressive finger manipulation, he septerated one of the three cards out and moved it towards his duel disk. Sliding it in, again rather awkwardly from the hanging position of his arm, it appeared face up next to the brown backed card just set.

"I play Staff of Allied Force. By discarding one card, I can special summon one monster of the same level as my equipped monster by sacrificing him." Kiro slid of the cards into the hole in the wrist gadget, harder done from the hanging spot on his limp arm as it was on the opposite side.

Appearing in the left hand of the Gravekeeper, a long silverish colored rod appeared. Lines of gold creased its their way down the steel shaft and laid out the blue prints for the jewels embedded along the way. At the top, a flat, disk like cut out was set with a design cut into its face. Though it didn't last long as both it and the monster broke apart into small, harmless data bits.

"I sacrifice him to summon out Gravekeeper Kiro (1800/1100). Defense mode." Appearing where the monster was, the rough looking version of Kiro materialized, crouched over and protecting himself behind crossed arms. "He also lets me play Necrovalley from anywhere to my side of the field." Kiro's voice was starting to sound even worse, like high static on a radio. "I end my turn."

"Draw." Lait said, calm and composed. _"He doesn't want to show it so much, but he is exhausted and hurting badly. He doesn't want to show that he is in any way weak or back down from this game. But..."_ Her thoughts trailed off as she took a glance upward at her tan skinned giant. _"...does he still hold any way to win?"_ Holding up her hand, she pointed the palm towards the defending monster. "Five God Dragon..."

She was interrupted as Kiro held up his right hand. Flipping the card over, he revealed a monster card of weak states, but filled with an effect. Sliding the card into his graveyard slot (still awkward with the arm), he began to explain through the distortion in his voice.

"Charm of Shabti (100/100) can be discarded from my hand in order to make all damage done to Gravekeeper's zero this turn."

Lowering her arm, she just smiled at him. "I end my turn." Though her child like attitude gone, a since of glee still filled her to the point of bouncing on her heels. She didn't really see how Kiro was going to fight back against her dragon, but he wasn't giving up, nor did he have the will to give up.

"...draw..." His voice starting to fail him, Kiro slowly, painfully raised his two arms. Trembling with the horrible strain, he managed to pull the top card off his deck before his strength let out and his left arm fell again to his side to rest. Coughing past his dry through he tried to speak again, but couldn't do it. He held up the card he had drawn and flipped it over so Lait could see.

"Card of Demise." Lait recognized the card image. She watched as Kiro painfully slid the card into the duel disk on his shaking arm being held up to him. Then, as quick as his strength would allow, snapping five cards off the top of his deck.

Composing himself, he slid one of the cards in his hand now into his duel disk. It appeared behind his crouched over self in a flash of light. Next, Kiro picked up his card, and slid it into his graveyard slot. Chocking a bit, he managed to announce his play.

"I sacrifice Gravekeeper Kiro in order to summon Secret Spirit Guard-Heruru (2400/1800) in defense mode." Slapping the card onto the disk, the form of Kiro on the field grew broader shouldered. A silky robe appeared around its body, fitting snugly as the monster crossed his arms in front of him as well. His raven black hair flowed down over his endless black eyes as he set up his defensive stance. "End." Was all Kiro managed to cough out before he had to turn and hack up more blood.

"Kiro..." Kaira's voice was chocked as well. Watching Kiro suffer like this made something burn inside of her. Burn so hot that it made her eyes sweat salty drops of water down her cheek.

"_What could Kiro have planned? Nothing I can think of in a Gravekeeper deck can bring down that huge beast. Not attack strength wise anyways."_ Chao pondered, rubbing his fingers under his chin as he stared at the battle. _"He keeps fighting, even though it looks like he's about to die. He has to have something he can do, or there would be no point."_

"What can he do?" Kaira asked, not even turning her head to Chao as she spoke. Turning his head, he saw that she was trying to wipe away the tears that formed lines down her face. "Is there any card he can pull that can take that thing down?"

"I can't think of one." Chao replied, looking back to the battle. "But then again, I haven't seen all of Kiro's new deck. Maybe he does have something in there that can pull him to a win!" Chao was trying to sound as hopeful as he could to not make Kaira feel even worse. Problem was, he had seen what cards were put on his tab at Huang's store, so he did know what the cards were in Kiro's deck. Not a one of them could bring the monster down.

"Draw." Lait slid the top card from her deck and looked at Kiro. "Alright, Five God Dragon, attack and destroy Heruru now. Penta-God Dooms Day!" Whipping her arm out, she pointed directly at the crouched over warrior. Opening its mouths, the five headed dragon began to form spheres of each element of each head. With a roar bursting up from inside their throats, the attacks ripped out of their jaws towards the crouching monster.

Rushing over Heruru's body, the beast was ripped apart instantly in the violent attack. White energy rushed over Kiro's body, the shocked wave of the attack forcing his body to go flying into the stone wall behind him like a rag doll.

"I end my turn." Lait calmly spoke, the smoke clearing after the attack. She watched as Kiro pulled himself up the rock face. Standing, he glared at her before drawing a card from his duel disk with much trouble. His arm fell to his side again and he nodded to Lait. She was shocked, her eyes flowing with confusion. "You end your turn?"

Kiro nodded again, 'yes'. Slowly and rather roughly, he made his way back to the middle of the stone disk. His arms dangling at his side.

"Draw." She said, slowly sliding the top card from her deck. As much as she didn't want to do it, she pointed towards Kiro. She had to do her duty, and her duty was to test Kiro's abilities and make him prove his worth. "Kiro Rinku, I am sorry I have to do this, but it appears to me that you are not as worthy as I originally thought. You were powerful, but I guess you can't keep the power flow steady. You do seem pretty worthless actually. Five God Dragon. Finish!"

"Worthless?" Kiro growled, his head snapping up towards her. A strange aura seem to flow off his body, barely visible. Gritting his teeth, Kiro's stance widened as the tremendous behemoth was preparing its attack. "I'll show you worthless! Trap open! Necro Tomb Coffin!"

One of Kiro's two set cards flipped up. Showing a stone valley with a solid black coffin floating inches above the ground, surrounded in a navy blue aura. From inside the coffin, a shadowed claw was bursting out reaching towards the dark sky above the valley.

"This card special summons two monsters from my graveyard to the field in attack mode, regardless of Necrovalley's effect. These monsters however have to be at least 600 points less than the monster that is currently attacking me." Kiro roared out, anger filling his course voice. Before him, Gravekeeper Kiro and Secret Spirit Guard-Heruru appeared standing perfectly straight. The resemblance between the monsters was almost scary, minus that Heruru was slightly taller and more built out.

"Ok? So you want me to destroy a monster to win this duel?" Lait's confusion was made even more apparent by the cocking of her eye and her head tilting slightly to the side. "Alright, fine. Five God Dragon, destroy Gravekeeper Kiro now! Penta-God Dooms Day!"

Erupting from the powerful jaws of the beasts five heads, the streams of fire, water, lightning, darkness, and wind collided, making one large, speeding comet hurdling towards the shirtless version of Kiro. Washing over him, the attack vaporized the monster instantly.

"I win. This test is...what?" Lait's eyes widened as the smoke the was emitted after the attack was blown aside in a large burst of wind. Kiro's body was reacting strangely, shaking violently with all his muscles clenched. A ring of pure red fire was at his feet, sending a stream of fire spiraling around Kiro's body and blowing the smoke away.

Kiro-650 LP  
Lait-3700 LP

"Necro Tomb Coffin states that if I have Necrovalley on my side of the field, I lose no life points from the attack. Your monster loses the attack points of mine that you destroy (3200/5000),and it equips to my remaining monster, giving him infinite life!" Kiro growled, sinister, almost pure evil.

The spiraling fire looking energy became more violent, wrapping itself around Kiro's body like a snake. Erupting into a violent flaming body, the mass energy even made the large five headed dragon take a step backwards.

Once the violent flaming body of the serpent of fire died down, the energy became a lot more fluent, whipping its way off Kiro's body. The most amazing thing was that Kiro's arm was completely healed, only a scar remained where the wound once bleed mass amounts of blood. The blood that had been running down Kiro's arm seemed to have vanished, as if evaporated by the raging flames.

A stream of the fire like energy burst off, slithering its way through the air towards Kaira and Chao. Kaira jumped towards Chao who wrapped his arms around her and dragged them both downwards. The river of fire rushed over their bodies, leaving no damage and vanishing into the air a ways down the street.

Separating, both Kaira and Chao were amazed at how they felt. As if that strange flame like energy had completely rejuvenate them. Stretching her side, Kaira found that the stabbing pain that once plagued her no longer was felt. Standing up, the two of them bushed themselves off, giving each other looks of astonishment and amazement.

"It is my turn Lait!" Kiro roared out, the fire ring erupting into a burning pillar as he snapped the top card off his deck. "Trap card open! Rite of Spirit revives Gravekeeper Kiro on my side of the field." Kiro bellowed, the representing monster appearing on the field before Kiro. "I then sacrifice him, and Secret Spirit Guard-Heruru to summon Secret Spirit Guard-Kooru (3000/2000)!"

Floating up slowly from a ripple in space, the silver haired, and most powerful, demon monster rose. Eyes close, the mystic creature's hair and decorative gray robe ruffled in a wind caused from his summoning. The traditional three orbs were sewed into the fabric in the back. Opening its eyes, the stone gray iris glared out at the opponents that opposed him. In both its hands, a massive sword with a solid black blade rested, ready to be used to draw the blood of the large beast.

"Lait, this is where it ends for you." Kiro stated, a growl to his voice and his eyes flickering with anger. The ring of fire like energy continued to spiral up his body, ferociously lashing out every now and again in the beat of Kiro's heart. "I WILL KILL YOU!" He roared, clenching his right hand into a fist so tightly that his knuckles bleached white.

"How?" Lait began to inch backwards, scared at the sudden outburst of Kiro. "If I recall, Kooru only negates effect if properly summoned with that sacrifice you made. That won't do much against the attack of my monster." Lait's voice was trembling along with her body, she was trying to bluff that she wasn't scared, but failing miserably.

"Yes, but you are an idiot not to know that each of the spirit guards had two effects each." Kiro snapped back, the strange aura bursting outwards in his rage. "Secret Spirit Guard-Kooru, use your second power to kill Five God Dragon!" Flexing his muscles, Kiro jerked his arms back to the side, sending the energy blasting out.

Lifting his sword, Kooru's avatar card began to charge toward the behemoth of a dragon. A red aura similar to the one Kiro was producing began to form around the sword, licking off in the forward motion.

"I sacrifice Necrovalley to make Kooru's power unstoppable!" Kiro growled, the stone walls of his field card shattering all around him in the violent storm of energy bursting out of Kiro's body. Turning into black vapor, the debris of the stone valley began to fly towards the charging monster. Wrapping itself around the black blade, the vapor formed a raging tornado along the razor.

Launching himself into the air, Secret Spirit Guard-Kooru swung the sword around his body once, pulling a ful 360 in mid air. On his return path, the edge of the sword crashed into the neck of the burning head on the dragon. With ease, the sword chopped through the neck and crashed into the neck of the aqua blue head. Repeating the process, Kooru ripped through each of the five necks. Continuing with the momentum, he pulled another 360 in the air and slammed the sword into the dragons chest as he was starting to be pulled down with gravity.

"Kill!" Kiro roared, jerking his arms straight down and whipping his head backwards. The eruption of the fire like energy was tremendous. Covering Kiro and that whole side of the field in a veil of red.

Lait didn't care, she was staring horror struck as the five heads of her great dragon fell down around her. Staring up, the top half of the monsters torso began to slid off its body.

From his place flying backwards through the air, Secret Spirit Guard-Kooru whipped the black bladed sword down and out to his right, holding onto it with only one hand. Extending his left arm forward, he sped his fingers wide apart, his palm facing the collapsing body. The whole area around them seem to shift into a cold, ice like gray. The unrelenting force of the pressure caused all of the Five God Dragon to explode, sending waves of data bits everywhere. But, when the color seeped back into every thing in the area, the pieces seemed to vanish into the gray back ground.

"H..how?" Lait's confused question was drowned out in the roar the flame like energy Kiro was still producing. Staring down at he scaled duel disk, she saw the numbers on the black membrane began to vanish and reappear.

Kiro-650 LP  
Lait-0 LP

Glaring at Kiro, Lait's frustration and anger peeked out. "EXPLAIN YOURSELF KIRO!" Her voice roared across the valley, louder and deeper than her little body should normally produce. When the echoed cry of her voice finally dissipated from the area, the erupting energy abruptly stopped.

"Don't you dare give orders to me, bitch." Kiro growled, his red eyes seeping with hate. They also were solid. No pupil rested in them, and odd straight streaks of red jerked from the iris across the eye. His body still was surrounded in a thick layer of red aura.

* * *

Trapped inside glowing spheres, Heruru, Hebanu, and Kooru all floated in a sea of swirling flames. Tossing and turning about with no control on direction or speed. 

"We've been severed!" Kooru cried over the roaring sea. "Kiro's body has cut our links."

"What in the hell is going on though!" Heruru cried to him as his orb sped past.

"I'm not sure. I've never experienced or heard of this happening before." Kooru replied. Though Heruru couldn't hear all the message clearly, he still got the jist of it. Tumbling completely over, Kooru looked out at the endless sea of ridged embers. His eyes suddenly widening. _"It couldn't be..."_

"Is this crazy ride ever going to stop?" Hebanu screamed from his orb as it was suddenly rocketed into the air, crashing down on the flaming water.

"Its...Kiro..." Kooru spoke in a normal volume, his voice filled with a tint of fear. "No, it can't be. This isn't right."

* * *

Fading into a ball of light, Secret Spirit Guard-Kooru floated into its said card that still rested on the dueling field of Kiro's duel disk. Smirking an evil smirk, a cold uncaring laugh slipping out of the hole make at the left side of his lips. He reached down and picked up the card. 

"I used the special power of Kooru." Kiro's voice was dark, drained of any emotion but hate, anger, and the love of torture. "I sacrifice my little valley and activated his power to destroy anything on the field. He removes them from play, and deals the original attack of that monster to your life points." Explained Kiro, sliding the card back on top of his deck. Looking up, his heartless eyes locked onto Lait in a look that could kill. "And guess what. You screwed yourself and you know it. Now die bitch!"

Howling in pain, the young testers body was engulfed in a orb of flames. Kiro whipped his head back, roaring with laughter as he watched the girl burning alive in a flame he controlled with his own energy. She flailed about, collapsing on the rock, she began to roll about.

The pillar that Kiro was still perched atop of began to slowly lower itself to the ground, the rocks vanishing from blow as they seemed to sink through the ground. Lait's platform though began to wobble, falling apart beneath her and caving in so that her body would be squished by the tons of rocks.

She was dead before the rocks crunched her.

Leveling out on the ground floor, Kiro stood there laughing. A deep, dark, hate filled laugh echoed off the stone wall face of the valley they were in. That, and the patter of feet as Kaira and Chao ran over to their chortling friend.

"Kiro! What is going on with you?" Kaira screamed into his face, catching his attention and bringing his head down towards her. She covered her mouth, gasping from the sight she saw. Kiro's eyes were still red, no pupil inside the round iris. The straight lines across the white part of his eyes were glowing red, radiating with a cold, dark feeling.

"Why should you care to know?" Kiro's voice had changed, a low rumbling voice replaced his normal one. She reached out to put her hands and his shoulders, but he quickly slapped them way with a swift motion from his arm.

Whipping to the side from the force of the impact, Kaira felt a strange numbness run through her arms. The blow was harder than she thought at first, and it took a second for her feeling to come rushing back into her arms. Looking back at Kiro, she saw that he had changed even more. His fingers were ridged, spiky in points, and reflective black. Asmall dull razor ran from the tip of his finger to the base of his knuckles, broken in the right spots to let his fingers bend. Both of his hands were like that, the leather glove on his right hand ripped slightly, but still intact over his hand.

Lime green lines were cracking their way across the black fingers, and down onto Kiro's visible left palm. A ridged red, metallic looking hand, just like the fingers. Stretching up Kiro's arm until it vanished under his sleeve.

"Kiro! What happened to your hands?" Kaira gasped, looking at his left arm, then shifting her gaze to his right arm, which looked identical once past the leather glove. He clenched his fist, growling to draw her head up to look him in his weird eyes.

"What does it matter?" He spat, beginning to walk past Chao who was completely speechless. Continuing to walk, he didn't even bother to look back at them while he spoke. "I feel the power surging through my body. It doesn't matter how or what it is."

As he stepped out onto the concrete street, a scraping noise rang through the night air. Looking down, he saw that his toes had the same black lining with the blunt razor top across them. Growing in size, they had pierced through the rugged tennis shoes. Then he noticed lights splashing over the ground. Cranking his head up, he saw a old rusted brown car drive up. Kiro stood there, bathed in the head lights, staring angerly at the car.

The door swung open, and Katana quickly jumped out of the driver seat. Running around the car, she was joined by Deo, Michi and Izumi.

"Kiro! What happened?" Katana stared at the new features that adorned Kiro's body. Glaring at her for a second, his anger washed eyes shifted from her, across the twin assistance and then the small boy. Concerned, Katana tried again. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

"I won, what did you expect to happen?" Kiro growled, spitting in disgust at the interrogation. Turning, he began to walk down the street, the scraping of the claws growing more distant as he walked away.

Running out from inside of the mountain, Kaira caught up with Kiro in no time since her side no longer pained or hindered her. "Please Kiro, let us help you. Talk to me." She begged, as she now walked beside him. Stopping, he looked at her, his teeth bared and clenched.

"Leave me alone wench." And with that, he continued his pace down the street. Kaira made a move to come after him, but before she even took a step he stopped again a little ways down the street. "Don't. And I repeat. Don't follow me bitch."

"But I..."

"Do not follow me!" He bellowed, the flame like energy bursting up around his body as he yelled. Leaving Kaira completely stone footed, and speechless. The flames of red died down, leaving a smoking aura around his body again. He continued to walk down the street, this time in larger strides.

The six of them could only watch Kiro as he disappeared into the blackness of the night. Images of Kiro's changed body fresh in their heads.

Once out of sight of the others, Kiro dropped his head and looked at his right hand. Flexing his fingers, curling them in and out. Smirking, a slight evil laugh rolled out of his throat. Turning his hand over, he saw on the back of the glove, the orbs were all pasty white. The life that once rested in each of their spherical cases was gone, trapped behind the dried glue like exterior.

He continued to walk into the darkness, not looking back.

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Alrighty, that would be my next update. I hope you all enjoyed it, even though it might be just a little bit odd what actually happened to Kiro there. I'm sure you'll figure it out, or wait and see how it is explained. Either way, I had fun putting Kiro up against one of the strongest beasts in this entire game. Hope you all had a good time reading it as well.

Any who...someone asked me if I would be kind and do a bit of advertising. So, I caved in and am doing it right here. Though it was a good chapter to do it on.

Demon Hunter Soma Hellbound by Darksoulkai  
_Demon Hunter Soma Hellbound strives to find his destiny. For too long he has hidden in the shadows and now he dreams to find a clear path. Friends will be made, Enemy's will be feared and the biggest war of duelists will battle it out to honour their own race. Now, Lets Duel!  
_Coming soon...

Have a nice day folks!  
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	33. You're Going to Hate It

Chapter 33: You're Going to Hate It

A loud crashing nosie ran through the thick morning air. A large stone wall in an abandoned building crumbled to the ground spitting dust and dirt up into the air. Through the layer of foul fog, Kiro strutted out. A smirk creasing his lips, his eyes darted to a pillar of solid cement standing a good 5 yards away.

Within a matter of a second, Kiro had closed the gap between him and the stone spire. His fist now embedded into the side of it, sending spider web like cracks shooting across its smooth face. Seconds later, the pillar came tumbling to the ground in a small shards of concrete, spitting up more dirt and dust into the morning air.

The area was covered in a thick, dirt brown haze. Another cloud of dust burst up into the air as another structure came crashing down.

After a few more destructive punches, Kiro found himself walking away from the destroyed building. A dark smiled curled the corners of his lips. Reaching down, he picked up the white duel disk that he had set aside as he walked past it.

"Such power." He mused, flexing his left fingers. "The urge to destroy, to kill. I love it." He swung his left arm outwards, knocking over a tree as he walked past. The thick, round old tree toppled over, crashing to the earth. A scar cut deep into its side where Kiro's fist smacked it made the tree weep with each leaf that brushed on the ground.

* * *

Sitting in Katana's living room, all six of the small group were silent. Katana was flipping through her pages of notes that she had gotten on her night that she was upon the mountain. Kaira stared blankly out the window. Everyone else, just had their eyes locked on the floor.

"I can't figure out what happened to him." Katana finally spoke, letting the notes drop to her side, then out of her long, slim fingers onto to the carpeted floor. "No were did I ever find a trial provoking a change in the testee. But we all saw Kiro..."

"That wasn't Kiro." Kaira interrupted. Katana looked back over at the blond haired girl, sighing, she knew that Kaira didn't want to believe that Kiro had abandoned her. But Katana also knew that this was not the time to be dancing around the truth.

"Kaira honey." Katana got up and walked to the couch were the girl sat. Sitting down next to her, Kaira's body bounced from the impact on the couch, but remained staring out the window. "I know that what Kiro said to you was hard..."

"I'm telling you, that wasn't Kiro." Kaira simply said again. Turning her head, their eyes locked. "Kiro is not that thing. What ever it is had Kiro's body, but that was not Kiro in control."

"Kaira." Chao spoke, drawing both of the women's heads towards him. "I know that you really want to believe that, but that wasn't Heruru, Hebanu, or Kooru in control of that body. We've seen when they take over, and it is nothing like that."

"Whatever. I know that wasn't Kiro." Kaira spat at his comment, turning her head to stair out the window. Resting her head on her arm, her elbow dug into the arm of the couch. She secretly wiped away a tear that started to trickle down her cheek. _"__I know that wasn__'__t you Kiro. I could just feel that wasn__'__t you. There is some other part of you in control.__"_

"Yes...well, the two of you had better get ready for school." Katana change of subject took Chao by surprise. In all the excitement he forgot that it was indeed a school day. Kaira though stared off into the space beyond the window. It was like she didn't even hear what Katana had said, but surprisingly still hoist herself up from the couch.

"Yeah, lets get going Chao." Her voice was absent and distracted as she spoke, never once taking her eyes off the void laying beyond the window.

Without another word, the two of them gathered up some of their things and walked out the front door. Once they were gone, Katana sat back down in here chair sitting by on old oak desk that had all of her notes strewn out upon it.

"What was the point in sending them to school?" Izumi asked, walking up to Katana and resting her hand on Katana's shoulder.

"They would sit around here all day and mope." Katana replied, shifting through some of her papers. "School would at least provide a different setting for them. Maybe taking their minds off of all the stressful things happening. Ah! Here it is." She said holding up a single piece of white paper with black markings all over it. Some notes, some ruin like symbols were randomly placed all across the page.

"What is that?" Michi asked, standing next to her sister. Looking over Katana's shoulder at first, but stepping back when Katana spun around in the chair.

"Some of the information I gathered the last time I was at the temple. I've been working at translating it." She said, standing up. Michi and Izumi sat down on the couch to listen to what Katana was going to read to them. Clearing her throat, she began to recite roughly what she had on the paper.

"With the coming of the new moon, the answers would have been gathered and the final is taken. Preparations over, the bravest warrior stands beside the guardian as they make the finial walk up the road most well known."

* * *

Though the day was uneventful for Kaira, her thoughts were very busy. The gears in her mind were cranking away, the constant rotations of thoughts and events that had happened. The mesh of images and words in her head swirled into an endless vortex of pain that stabbed at her heart.

As the finial bell rung, Kaira found herself walking down the stone sidewalk that lead out the front doors of the building. Her head bowed, the same thoughts spiraling through the lenses of her mind.

"_What is the matter with you Kiro?__"_

Stopping once she saw a patch of grass off to her right, she looked up across the small little sectioned off area that was designated for dueling matches. She had her first duel on that field, against one of her best friends now; Chao.

The rush of memories that came back to her made a slight smile cross her face, the first she had in a while. Looking over at the far end where a large tree stood with strong, thick branches.

_/Flashback/_

_"That was pathetic!" Kiro exclaimed jumping out of the tree and walking passed Kaira. "Very sad to watch."_

_"Now Kiro, she tried her best." Chao exclaimed walking up to Kaira._

_"Then she needs to get better." Kiro exclaimed still walking away._

_"You want to take me one tough guy?" Chao yelled stopping Kiro dead in his tracks. Turning around Kiro was glaring at Chao and stepped forward._

_"Chao..." Kiro started to move closer. "I have more important things to do then waste my time on you." Kiro grumbled and walked away._

_"Jerk." Kaira mumbled. "Hey, Chao would you give me the honor of a rematch?"/_

_/End Flashback/_

Though he was mean to her, she did enjoy spending time with Kiro. Over the time, whether he wanted to admit it or not, they had grown to become friends. And Chao too. The three of them had gone through so much in these trials, but last night...

"_This isn__'__t you Kiro. I know its not!__" _

"Kaira!" Turning sharply, she saw the silver haired boy running up behind her. "Hey, why didn't you wait up for me?" He panted, resting against the corner of the stone wall.

"Sorry Chao." She sighed, leaning against the wall around the corner from Chao. "I had a lot on my mind and didn't even think about you."

"Kiro?"

"..." Kaira looked up at the crystal clear blue sky, devoid of any clouds. Sighing, she looked back at the grass covered field. "...no..." She lied.

Chao noticed her hesitation in responding, and opened his mouth to catch her red handed, but decided that it would be far to painful for her to admit. Running his fingers through his hair, he watched as the doors of the building spit out countless students on their voyages home, to work, or just out into the world. Speaking next, he peeked around the corner slightly to see her.

"So what do we do now?" Asking this seemed to make her uncomfortable. Staring at him, she gave a slight look of disgust but it was quickly washed away in a wave of confusion.

"I...I really don't know." Pushing herself away from the wall, she made sure to stretch her side. Amazed that her wound caused her no more pain. "I guess we go looking for Kiro. Unless you have something else you are going to do."

"Even if I did, you'd still go looking for him yourself." Chao grunted, pushing himself off the wall as well. "And I wouldn't dare leave a young lady to do all the hard and dangerous work by herself. Lets go find him."

* * *

"Give me your money punk." A large bald man yelled into the face of a younger kid. The bald guy, not over 25 years old, pulled the young brown haired boy away from the wall and slammed him against it. "Dammit, I said give me your money!" He spat in the kids face, disgusted at the tears running down the face of the young man.

The alley way were they were was deserted, damp, and from the tall stone buildings on both sides of the narrow passage way; completely dark. Again, getting no response besides the whimpers the boy was producing, the bully slammed him into the wall, repeating his demand.

"Why don't I kick your ass a while to show you how it feels?" A gruff voice echoed down the corridor. Snapping his bald head up, the street punk looked around for the one who dared to challenge him. He hadn't heard anyone coming, and with a swift rotation of his head, didn't see anyone either.

"Who's there?" He demanded to know, shifting his head back and forth to both ends of the alley. "Dammit, I said; who is there!" He screamed, quickly turning his head again to look down towards the far end of the ally. This time though, a pair of glowing red eyes met his in the darkness. With one swift jerk of his arm, the new body had put his fist right in the bald mans face, sending him flying backwards down the alley.

Bouncing off the ground a few times, the large muscular body slid to a stop. The dirt and murky water stained the white tank top the jerk was wearing. A rage ran through his body and he quickly snapped his head up. In an impressive maneuver, he bounded back to his feet to take on this new enemy.

"You want to know who I am?" The dark voice inquired, the two glowing red eyes seeming to give a deadly blood like appearance to the alley.

"Yes I do punk." The punk spit out the side of his mouth, wiping away some blood from his lip. "I would love to know who is going to die for attacking me." Cracking his knuckles, the punk prepared to lung once he received his answer.

"The name is Kiro. Kiro Rinku." Kiro growled, smirking slightly when he saw the bald man charging at him. In a rush of power, a blood red aura shot up around his body like cold fire. Like a barrier, it stopped the man in mid air. "And nothing can kill me!" He roared, snapping back his right hand. The black fingers glinted from the light Kiro's body was producing. Jerking forward, the fist was planted in the gut of the man throwing him farther back then before.

Crashing to the ground, the man opened his eyes with a start, ready to get back up and kick the crap out of Kiro. But to his surprise, Kiro was standing over him, glaring with the pupil less eyes. A wave of fear raced through the mans body now.

"T..ta...take all my cash if you want it. Please just spare me." He begged, trying to crawl backwards down the alley.

"I don't want your cash!" Kiro barked. Reaching down, Kiro grabbed a hold of the punks shirt. His black claw like fingers ripping through the fabric as he pulled the punk up right. Holding onto enough cloth, Kiro pulled the man to his face. Snarling a bit, Kiro's eyes filled with the lust of pain and torture. "I want to hear you scream!" His voice sick, demented in a way.

The young boy who was originally being bullied ran out of the alley. As he was stumbling his way down the street in a awkward run, wiping away his tears away, he heard a blood curdling scream echoed from within the stone corridor.

The young boy wanted to get away from both of them. Even though that one was his savior, there was something about him the was just spine tingling.

The street lights begin to flicker on as the sun set behind the skyline, casting the limping shadow of the kid across the ground. The yelping continued to echo through the night.

* * *

The clouds began to disperse, showing a odd dark black moon resting in the sky. Its light was dull and colorless, making the area seem sick and lifeless.

Kaira and Chao gazed up at the cold sphere in the night sky. It looked like a hole had been punched through the atmosphere. A ring of white light was the only indication that the moon was indeed there, its ink black surface blending into the heavenly sky flawlessly otherwise.

"We've been searching all evening." Chao collapsed on the sidewalk. "Were could he have gone?" Chao seemed to be getting frustrated.

"I know." Kaira agreed, looking around the empty street. "Not a sign of him anywhere."

"I also agree." A new voice rang through the night air. Jerking their heads to the source of the voice, they both saw a black robed figure. The two of them seemed awestruck at the arrival of the new guest. "I can't seem to find him either, and I don't even feel his life in the city anymore. But...Lait was killed so he must be alive."

"Yeah, he is, we just don't know what happened to him." Kaira admitted, bowing her head. Chao still a bit awestruck at the new being. Looking up, Kaira brushed her blond hair out of her face before cocking her head to the side. "And you would be?"

"Nori, tester of the Solid Black Moon. I was hoping Kiro was going to be the one to finish the trials, but if he's not around..." Turning, the average height man quickly seemed to glide down the street. "...I guess he loses. I can't wait for him."

"Wait! Why not?" Kaira yelled, jogging after the figure. Chao, who had been left behind, stumbled to his feet to take chase after the two of them. "All the other testers waited for Kiro to catch up to them, and the night has just started."

"True, but the other testers had a life aura from one Kiro Rinku in the city. Now, there isn't even that. I can only assume he is dead." Nori continued to glide until he came to a fountain in the middle of a opening.

"So you're just going to declare him the loser? That's not fair!" Kaira finally caught up with Nori when he came to a complete stop.

"Who decides what is fair around here?" Nori questioned, looking at the blond haired girl out of the corner of his eye, still under his hood.

"I...I don't know." Kaira fumbled over the words.

"Then I have no choice. No Kiro, no way he can pass. I guess the world is doomed."

"NO!" Kaira screamed. "He will be here! I am sure of it." Nori turned his body so he was facing the girl.

"I can't wait for someone who I am not sur if he is alive." Nori stated, his stoic voice unwavering.

"Well..." Kaira's eyes dropped to the ground. A tear began to form in the corner of her eye. Snapping her head up, she took on an angry expression. "Than for all purposes, I am Kiro's stand in. I will hold his place."

"Um..." Nori stood stiff for a second. There was nothing in the rules that said Kiro couldn't have a stand in. But, there was something about his duty that he didn't believe Kaira had taken into consideration. "Alright then. Prepare your deck."

"What!" Kaira flushed with fear. _"__He wants to duel me?__" _

"I said; get your deck ready, its time to start the test." And with that, Nori vanished in a uprush of light strings. Kaira soon found her body doing the same thing.

The ground about a yard away from the fountain on two opposite sides began to glow in a strange light. Large rectangular chunks ripped themself out of the earth and hovered upwards into the air above the fountain. The strings of light converged in the middle of these large table like stone rocks.

Kaira looked around, the sudden change in height made her stomach cringe. Across from her, on the other stone slab, Nori ripped off his black robe, revealing a average height teenage looking boy. His hair was light blue, almost white in some spots, matching his eye color of the exact same thing. Two long triangles were under his eyes, drawn down his smooth cheeks. His attire was just a light green tank top and a pair of blue pants.

"Alright, 'Kiro', its time to duel!" Nori bellowed out, startling Kaira a bit. A ripple of light appeared around Nori's wrist, forming a duel disk shape made entirely out of rippling white and yellow energy. "Ready?"

"Um...no." Kaira didn't even have a duel disk with her. She looked around helplessly as she was in no way prepared to duel. Sighing, Nori raided his right hand, palm outwards to Kaira.

"Here." He simply said, a flash of light bursting out of the center of his five fingers. Racing across the field, the light crashed into Kaira's left wrist, forming a standard Kaiba corp. duel disk. "Now, lets duel!"

* * *

Kiro's head snapped upwards. Above him in the sky was the outline of the night moon. His eyes burned for some reason, an instinct of his told him he needed to be somewhere else right now.

A force seemed to pull at him, drawing his attention far away from where he was. Letting his fingers open up, the shirt that was clasped in his hand slid out and the bald headed bully fell to the ground with a loud 'thump' and a grunt as air rushed out of his chest.

With a swift spring of his heels, Kiro launched himself to the roof of the alley that surrounded them. Glancing around, he wondered what the strange feeling he was getting was. His blood like eyes took in every aspect of the roofs, but nothing caught his attention.

Bounding forward, disappearing into the night.

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Looks like Kaira might just be in over her head. What kind of tactics will Nori use? You'll have to find out. Either way, don't forget to review. I love to hear from all my loyal readers. Bye for now, and have a nice day!  
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	34. Kaira’s Futile Battle, Nori’s Power

Chapter 34: Kaira's Futile Battle, Nori's Power.

Sliding the top five cards off her shuffled deck, Kaira tried to stop her hand from shaking so violently.

"_Come on girl, you can do it."_ She encouraged herself as she looked down at the hand she now held. _"Oh boo..."_

"As the tester, I get to start first so look out 'Kiro'. Draw!" Nori yelled, sliding the brown backed card off his deck.

Kaira-5000 LP  
Nori-5000 LP

"Since your might be having a hard time, I'll only play four cards on my first turn, sound fair?" Nori questioned, making Kaira cock her head to the side.

"Um...sure I guess." She remarked, looking down at the white duel disk strapped around her wrist. The life points were set to the trial 5000, the numbers growing bright in her mind. _"Although more than normal, I hope I keep them long enough for Kiro to get here. They seem like so few."_

"Alright then, I start with a monster card known simply as The Agent of Creation - Venus (1600/0)!" Announcing his move, Nori slapped one of the cards he was holding down onto his dueling platform. Before him in a pillar of pure white energy, a large golden winged angel appeared. Adorned in light green clothing, the angel admitted rays of heavenly light. "And I use her effect." Nori announced again, sliding his deck out of his pure light duel disk.

"What's its effect?" Kaira questioned, trying not to sound completely lost.

Fanning out his deck, Nori quickly slid his hand across their tops. Grabbing three of the cards as he went and pulling them clean out of the deck. Looking up, he smiled.

"By paying 500 life points each, I get to summon this monster from my deck to the field." Nori exclaimed, slapping the three cards onto his duel plate. "Mystic Shine Balls (500/500), all three in defense mode." Three clear white sphere began to circle around the Agent's outstretched hand. Twirling around for a few seconds, the three ball finally burst off and hovered around the Agent slowly moving clockwise.

Kaira-5000 LP  
Nori-3500 LP

"That would be my four cards. Your move." Nori let his arms come to rest at his side, his four monsters before him as a shield.

"Right." Kaira nodded, placing her hand on her deck. Slowly pulling, she drew the top card of her deck. "I draw." She reported out, quivering with each word. Looking at her drawn card, she smiled a bit. _"With this I can at least pretend I know what I am doing."_ Moving the card forward, she slide it into her duel disk. "I set one card on my field face down." She began, the brown backed card appearing before her. "And summon Spirit of the Books (1400/1200) in attack mode."

In front of Kaira, a large humanoid figure began to emerge from a shower of rainbow colored sparks. It had the head of a bald eagle, and white wings protruding from the back covered by a long teal colored robe. In its hand, or actually talon, it held a brown covered book.

"Um..." Kaira pointed to one of the floating sphere that continued to turn around the angel monster. "Spirit of the Books, attack one of the Mystic Shine Balls."

Obeying the command, the monster took off gliding across the field. Diving straight at the white sphere, the beak of the monster crashed into the smooth surface. Pulling it back, the Spirit of the Books returned to Kaira's filed while the Mystic Shine Ball began to crack and finally broke apart.

"You still spared enough of my monsters to still let me inflict major damage to you this next turn." Nori smirked, almost as if he were taunting Kaira for not doing more damage.

"I end my turn." Kaira said, bowing her head as she felt the sting of Nori's words. Her head snapped up when she heard her name being called out.

"What do you think you are doing?" Chao yelled from the clearing below the duel.

"I am dueling in Kiro's place until he can get here." Kaira yelled back, though she could no longer hide how terrified she was. "Where... ...where were you?" She sputtered out, grabbing ahold of her arms to keep herself from shaking in fear.

"Duh, I was trying to catch up to you!" He shot back, though a tone of fear also in his voice. _"Kaira is no where good enough to be dueling a tester. She's going to get herself killed!"_

"_Is this what Kiro's feel like every time he is facing a tester?"_ Kaira wondered, bringing her attention back up to Nori. The height off the ground still made her stomach lurch when she made movements to fast. "Its your turn. I am ready."

"Fair enough. Draw!" Nori yelled, pulling the top card from his deck and looking at it. Looking up, a smile creased his face. "I have decided. I shall only play two magic cards this turn. Ready?"

"I guess." Kaira fumbled over the words. She was actually more freaked out that he told her exactly what his moves were going to be in the turn than a normal element of surprise.

"I start with this, Gift of the Martyr. This magic card lets me sacrifice one monster card on my field to increase the attack of another monster by the attack strength of my offered monster. I'll scrap my Mystic Shine Ball to give my Agent of Creation - Venus an additional 500 attack points."

A stream of lights consumed the floating sphere in an instant, the threads of energy being absorbed by the golden winged angel (2100/0).

"And the second magic card, Reflect Energy!" Nori slid a second green bordered card into his duel disk of light. An odd blue dart appeared beside Nori. "I sacrifice my last Shine Ball in order to use this cards power." Nori cried, the last of his shining spheres fading from the field and the blue dart bursted forward.

Once it rested in the air behind Kaira, the petals opened up to form what looked like a satellite dish. A blackish tubbing filled in the space between each folded out piece. Kaira cranked her head around surprised at the strange object behind her body. Deep down, she had a bad feeling about it.

"Here we go, Agent of Creation - Venus, attack now!" Nori announced, whipping his arm around his body to emphasize its meaning. Cupping its hands, the angel sent a stream of white energy bursting outwards towards the satellite hovering behind Kaira's head. "Oh, and by the way, whenever I use Reflect Energy my first attack of the turn becomes a direct attack." A huge grin crossed his face, a frown forming on Kaira's. Jerking around suddenly, she watched as the blast of energy hit the tray, and bounced off directly at her. Within moments, she was consumed in a pure beam of white light.

Kaira-2900 LP  
Nori-3500 LP

A scream rang out through the night air, a loud thump followed suit. Kaira's body collapsed to the rectangular stone that she stood upon. Plumes of smoke rolling out from the folds of her clothing. Here eyes were wide, and she panted for air. The stinging sensation raced through her limbs, followed by a slight burning through her body.

Her eyes were wide open, pain seeping through them. Her teeth clenched, but the rest of her body was ablaze with the nerve tingling sensation. She tried to move, but found it a task in inevitability.

"Well, take you time then." Nori sighed, fanning himself with the four cards he held in his hand. "Whenever you can move, I end my turn. So take it away."

* * *

Kiro slid to a stop at the top of one of the roofs. Jerking his head around like a wild dog searching for wild game, he seemed to be taking in all the surroundings. Something was running through his brain, but he couldn't quite put together what it was. 

His chest expanded as he pulled in a deep and drawn out breath of air. Letting it escape out his nostrils and past his lips, his eyes closed. Moving his mouth slowly, he began to think out loud, but only a jumbled mess seemed to come out.

"..K..ka... Ka...r..ki..."

His black, coarse fingers curled into a tight balled fist. Curling the edge of his mouth up, a fang seemed to poke out from under the top lip. The reflection of the black sphere rested in his blood red eyes.

"What am I supposed to know? Am I supposed to be doing something?" Kiro's gruff voice asked out loud to no one in particular. "I feel so strange, but why should I care?" Kiro had a strange overwhelming urge to smash something but when he turned to look for something, he found his eyes were glued to the moon.

"I...I..." Kiro felt something inside he was trying to put into words. A strange instinct that was different from anything he's been feeling this whole time. "I feel like I need to find a human, I need to find a specific person. I sense danger."

With a massive pulse of energy, Kiro's legs retracted downward before springing up. Launching Kiro high into the sky above the roof, he seemed to be aiming towards the orb of blackness hanging so elegantly in the night sky.

* * *

Kooru sighed and rested his head against the clear bubble he was trapped in. The swirling vortex of endless flames continued to move them all about but it wasn't as violent as when they first found themselves here. 

"_Still can't contact Kiro."_ Kooru growled in his head. Letting his head roll off to the side, he looked out over the orange and red jagged flames that stretched farther than the eye could see. The sky of pure and total blackness stretching farther into an never ending heaven. _"If this is what I feel it might be, than Kiro is in a world of danger on his own. I just never even knew that a human host could be capable of doing this, rather meaning to or not."_

"Dammit." Heruru cursed, smacking the side of the bubble with his clenched fist. The siding seemed to be harder than it appeared to be cause he recoiled his hand back in pain. Snarling a bit, he looked back up to finish his original though. "Does anyone know yet what the hell is happening to Kiro?"

"Nope. Wish I knew though." Hebanu commented as his bubble slowly slid past on the raging flame surface.

"I'm" Kooru looked directly at the other two. His thoughts were scrambled but he though he had figured it out at least. "I think I might know."

"Well, what is it!" Heruru yelled, pressing up against the side of the bubble to make it move towards Kooru's imprisonment sphere.

"Yes, by all means, do share." Hebanu rolled his own bubble towards the silver haired demon. "Don't keep us here in the dark if you know, or even if you think you know."

Kooru took a deep breath and one last gaze at the endless abyss they seemed to be trapped in. "Alright, here is what I gather..."

* * *

Kaira was sitting on her knees, panting for air. Pushing herself back, she sat down on her butt on the stone platform. She moved a lock of hair out of her face with her right hand. 

"Ok, so that hurt." Kaira moaned, feeling the pain all over her body. "I don't see how Kiro can move at all after one of these tests if they are like that all the way till the end." Pushing herself onto her feet, she recollected her hand of cards and her thoughts. _"But I'll take as much as I need to. I'll do it for Kiro. Just hurry up and get here please Kiro."_

"Well I'm glad to see your standing, 'Kiro', if you'd like to now, please take your turn." Nori seemed rather impatient, but his tone was still friendly.

"Alright." Kaira nodded, placing her fingers on the top card of her deck. _"Here's hoping!"_ She pressed down on the deck making it tighten down, then slid the top card off the deck. "Draw." She commented as she held up the new card.

Sighing she slid it onto her duel disk horizontally. In front of her a small yellow dragonish monster appeared curled into a small tight ball. Its face was friendly, if not a bit comical. A large friendly smiled adorned it.

"I summon Petit Dragon (600/700) in defense mode. Next I shift Spirit of the Books into defense mode and I'll have to end my turn right there." Kaira explained, moving the monster card on her duel disk to a horizontal position. The eagle monster crouched down, holding the book tightly against his chest like a shield. The monsters card appeared instantly below its knees.

"Then I will draw my card." Nori announced, pulling his next card off his deck and looking upon its face. Smiling he looked up. "Alright, I'll play only two cards this turn. One magic card and something secret. I start with the magic card; The Sanctuary in the Sky!"

White fluffy clouds billowed out from behind the tester, covering the field in a sky like feeling. Behind Nori, a large stone temple began to rise out of the cloud cover. A lovely aura of white, yellow and sky blue coursed around the outer limits of the stone building.

"As long as this card remains face up on my field, all damage from a battle with a fairy type monster becomes voided. A handy little effect, but not all I've got for you. I set one card face down on my field and send my Venus to attack your little dragon. Go! Creation Beam!"

Cupping its golden hands, the monster created another orb of moving light energy. Ripping out of its resting place, the attack ripped across the field, tearing the yellow dragon monster into small little bits.

Kaira shielded her face from the blinding light, as well as the far to realistic destruction of her own monster. Once she saw that the light had faded, she pulled her arm away. The first thing that she did was move the monster into her card graveyard.

"Alright, that is my turn. Take it away." Nori calmly said, the same warm and friendly smile plastered onto his face.

"I draw then." Kaira exclaimed, snapping the top card from her deck. _"Maybe I stand a chance yet."_ Kaira pondered, looking at the rest of the cards she was holding. "Alright, I think I'll just shift my Spirit of the Books back into attack mode (1400/1200)." Standing striaght up, the humanoid eagle prepared to do battle once again. "But this time I'm going to be boosting his power with this. Follow Wind go!"

Glowing in a bright light, the winged monster began to surge with energy. Flapping its wings, it lifted itself off the ground and began to level out like a spear.

"With Follow Wind, his attack shoots up by 300 (1700/1500)! Go now, attack his Agent of Creation - Venus!" Diving forward, the monster hurdled across the gap between them, threatening to impale the opponents monster with its razor sharp beak.

"Good attack, but I'm going to activate my set trap card." Nori cried, whipping his arm out to the side. "Enchanted Javelin activate!" Flipping up, the purple bordered card began to glow as it activated. A beam of light burst outwards, blasting into the oncoming monster, but not slowing its pace. It crashed into the defending angel monster, ripping right through it like it wasn't even solid.

Kaira-2900 LP  
Nori-5200 LP

"What?" Kaira was completely lost. "What did you do? How did your life go up from that attack, and by so much?"

"Enchanted Javelin and my Sanctuary in the Sky is how. First, my trap; Enchanted Javelin increases my life points by the attack of the attacking monster. That is 1700 thanks to your equipment card. Secondly, since my Agent of Creation - Venus happens to be a Fairy monster, I took no damage because of my field's protection." Nori slid the two cards into his graveyard as he talked, his large glowing palace behind him making a rush of wind burst out. The clouds in the area were being blow outwards, but new ones billowed out to replace them.

"I end my turn then." Kaira felt slight bad, her move had backfired and she wasn't even holding anything that could help her. She thought that would have put a damper on Nori's plans, but it didn't seem to work like that. Little did she know, that the move had backfired worse than she though.

"Here I go then, my plan fell right into place and I'm sorry for doing this to you." Nori remarked, pulling the top card off his deck. Lifting it up, he glanced down at its face. _"Helpful, but not quite yet."_ Rating the card, he slid it into his hand before pulling a new card out and slapping it down on his duel disk plate. Cracks of lightning shot across the white dueling platform as the card materialized before him. "I shall play but only one monster this move. I summon; Agent of Force - Mars (0/0) in attack mode!"

A buff looking, red skinned angel with deep purple wings materialized out of the orange bordered card that appeared before Nori. A long, staff like hammerwas held tightly between the fingers of his right hand. Long, red pants were flapped in the wind produced by the sanctuary behind Nori.

"My Mars attack and defense points become the difference in our life points, but only if Sanctuary in the Sky is face up on my field." Nori explained, whipping his arm forward. "Now Mars, attack her Spirit of the Books!"

Roaring, the angel monster started to rush across the field. Bulging, its muscles seemed to be retaining a lot of power (2300/2300). Whipping itshammer back, the monster brought it down on the skull of the bird, ripping it straight down its body. A large explosion erupted from the bird as it was destroyed, showering Kaira in dust, dirt and smoke.

Kaira-2300 LP  
Nori-5200 LP

"And because the gap of our life points is increased, so is the power of my Mars (2900/2900). That is my turn," Nori smiled a bit as his angel floated down next to him. "Take it away, if you still can stand."

To Nori's surprise, Kaira was still standing. Only one set magic or trap card on her side of the field remained after the attack vanished, but she herself was standing tall. Reaching out for her deck, a look of determination burned in her eyes.

"_I will not let you down Kiro, I refuse!"_ Sliding the top card off her deck, she whipped it through the air. "You will not take me down Nori! Draw!" Glancing at the card, she frowned. _"I should have saved Follow Wind until I drew this card. But that would have made Mars even worse. Oh well..."_ Sighing, she slid the card onto her duel disk, her determination dying. "I summon Blue-Winged Crown (1600/1200) in defense mode and end my turn."

A large, blue colored bird appeared over a yellow bordered card. A red jagged head piece flowed around its head, forming a awkward crown shape. Tightly wrapping itself in its wings, the monster tucked its head in and prepared for the attack.

"Your deck really isn't so good, is it?" Nori asked, placing his finger tips on the top of his deck.

"Um..." Kaira averted her gaze. Pitifully, she stammered out; "I'm still not all that great of a duelist. I'm still learning."

"Figured so. I draw." Nori drew his next card, sighing, he saw what he needed to do. "I'm sorry, but I cannot hold back any more on your account. I'll start this move by playing this magic card; Cost Down!"

Snapping the said magic card out of his hand, Nori whipped it down to show it to Kaira before depositing it into the light plate resting on his arm. He then took one of his remaining three cards in his hand and flipped it over so Kaira could see its face as well.

"To activate Cost Down I must discard one card, and I chose this; Airknight Parshath (1900/1400)." The said card was an effect monster, showing a heavenly warrior shrouded in white feathers. Sliding it into his graveyard, he returned his right hand to the remaining two cards in his hand an slid one of them out. "Now Cost Down lets me reduce the level of all monsters in my hand by two levels. So now I can summon this without need of a tribute. Come forth; The Agent of Judgement - Saturn (2400/0)!"

A large, purple colored angel started to descend from above Nori's field. Flapping out its large, deep purple wings, the monster hovered to a monster zone next to its ally. Its clothing, the golden decorations adorning it, were glinting with lights.

"I'm sorry, but it looks like its going to be ending right here." Nori pointed to the blue feathered bird. "Agent of Judgement - Saturn, attack Blue Wing Crown with your Divine Judgement!" Cupping her hands, the purple angel formed a black and navy blue sphere of fire between its fingers. Hovering inches from the monster palm, it retracted it on its right hand behind its head. Catapulting the attack forward towards the crouching bird.

Slamming into the bird, it found itself set ablaze in a globe of flames. Thrashing around violently, it yelled out in pain. A swirling vortex of black embers and blue feathers burst out in a large blast that followed suit.

Kaira shielded herself, stepping back from the explosion. Shifting her arm once the attack had fizzled out, minus the occasional raining feather or flame dousing itself in mid air, she saw that the large brute of a monster was gliding its way towards her. Whipping its large weapon high into the air above its head. It prepared to strike.

"Agent of Force - Mars, finish this. Direct attack!" Nori yelled out. Letting a battle cry rip from its lips, the monster swung with all its might, bringing the attack down on the blond hair girl.

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And that ladies and germs is what we in the business like to call a cliffhanger. I seem to be doing them a lot recently. Oh well, Nori's onslaught brought Kaira down really fast. But what will happen next? You'll just have to stay on the look out for my next update. Till then, have a nice day!  
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	35. An Unfriendly Helpful Hand

Chapter 35: An Unfriendly Helpful Hand

The hammer made it rapid fall through the air, swishing the whole way. The target, Kaira's head, was cracked back with wide eyes of terror as the massive weapon was being brought down upon her. Her scream rang out above the war like battle cry the Agent of Force - Mars was bellowing. Then, a loud thump of metal on metal echoed through the night, followed by a shower of sparks raining down in front of Kaira.

Nori's eyes opened wide as he gazed at the strange scene before him. His powerful, muscular angel monster was being held off by a gray clone of itself.

"What in the world?" Nori's confusion was quickly put to rest when he saw something glowing on Kaira's side of the field. "She had a set card she activated." He mumbled under his breath, watching as the clone pushed the original monster back.

"My Mirage Token save me." Kaira wiped her forehead to stop the salty sweat drops from falling in her eyes. "When you attacked, I revealed my set card which happened to be Physical Double. I used it to make a perfect copy of your Agent of Force - Mars." She explained, her purple bordered card fading off the field.

"Physical Double, hmm." Nori rubbed his chin as he watched his brutal monster float back to his side of the field. _"The Mirage Token produced comes perfectly like the monster she selected. Meaning the attack points are equal. But since something appeared on the field, my monsters attack stopped. Lucky me."_ Nori pondered all the risks, but in the end he just let a smile crease his face. "Well, you stopped me. But my turn isn't over yet."

"What?" Kaira was kind of shocked to hear that. She was hoping he didn't have any other moves. Watching in a bit of horror, Kaira viewed Nori flipping the last card in his hand around before sliding it into his duel disk.

"Magic card activate! Pot of Avarice!" Appearing next to him in a burst of lights, the green borded card began to glow. Streams of this light flowed smoothly around Nori's body, being sucked into the graveyards slot on his duel disk like a vacuum sucks up dirt. Pulling out the stack of cards that were produced, he fanned them out and began to pluck a few choice cards out.

"What are you doing?" Kaira inquired, wondering what the strange card did for Nori. Smiling back at her, he held up five cards to her so she could see their faces. It was the five monsters that rested in his graveyard; three Mystic Shine Balls, Agent of Creation - Venus, and Airknight Parshath.

"I get to send these five lovely monsters back to my deck in order to use the effect of my Pot of Avarice." Pulling his deck out while he talked, Nori slid the five cards on top and began to shuffle. "Now that I've done that, I can draw two new cards." He explained, sliding the stack of cards back into his duel disk of light and pulling the two cards off the top. A weak smile faded across his face. "Well, nothing more I can use this turn. Your move."

"Draw!" Kaira yelled out, snapping the top card off her deck. _"Oh god please!"_ She prayed in her head as she flipped the card around. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a purple bordered card resting between her fingers. Quickly, she placed it into her duel disk. "I set this card face down on my field." Pulling another card from her hand she slapped it down on her duel disk. "And I summon Kurama in defense mode (800/800). Turn end."

A small, blue monster appeared on its yellow bordered card. Its golden talons crossed themselves around its body and it folded its wings over itself to make a protective layer. Peeking out, it glared at the two monsters and Nori that threatened it with deep golden eyes.

"_This is one big risk..but I have no other choice."_ Kaira grimaced, looking her newly set card.

"Then it is my turn again. Draw." Snapping the top card from his deck, Nori was pleasantly surprised at its face. _"A good card, but not needed this game."_ He smirked, sliding it into his hand. Pointing outwards, he took a deep breath. "Time to end this. Agent of Judgement - Saturn attack and destroy Kurama!"

Forming an orb of purple and black flames between its cupped hands, the monster again catapulted it toward the defender resting on Kaira's field. Engulfing it totally, the blue monster screeched in pain as it was burned alive.

"_Alright, moment of truth."_ Kaira felt the beads of sweat running down her smooth skin. The Agent of Judgement hovered back down as its attack was now finished. The large, red monster lifted its hammer, preparing for its turn.

"Agent of Force - Mars, attack and destroy this girl!" Nori bellowed, sending his monster into battle with an equal battle cry.

"Time to pray and hope this saves me. Open set card!" Kaira screamed over the two of them, her purple bordered card flipping up and glowing. "Trap card; Conscription!"

"What does that do?" Nori asked, amazed as the card shot a light blue stream of light at him. Raising his arm in defense, the beam of light crashed into his deck. That is when he noticed that the top card of his deck was glowing a light, sky blue color. "What is going on?"

"Conscription shows us both the top card of your deck. If it is a monster that can be normal summoned, then I get to special summon it on my side of the field. If its not, then it is added to your hand," Kaira sighed as she thought about it. "And I'll lose the duel."

"A gamble indeed." Nori nodded his head, placing his fingers on the top card of his deck. Slowly, and almost painfully to the both of them, he slid it off his deck, keeping the face of it down so neither of them could see it. With a flick of his wrist, he turned it over revealing its face. The title of the card reflected in his eyes; The Agent of Creation - Venus.

"Yes!" Kaira jumped as she saw the card, she had managed to save herself this turn. "Now I summon the Agent of Creation - Venus on my side of the field in face-up defense mode (1600/0)." Kaira announced as the card vanished from Nori's hand in a stream of sky blue lights, appearing moments later in the called position on her duel disk.

Kaira's happiness didn't last though, as the large weapon came down on the golden angel, smashing it into tiny data bits that burst out in all directions. Kaira felt the dull sphere crashing into her skin like rough pellets. Though they didn't hurt her at all.

Growling a bit, Nori just shook his head in frustration. "Well, I'll give that you saved yourself again, so I end my turn." He shrugged, kind of swaying back and forth on his feet like a palm tree in a gentle wind.

"My move then." She said, a little shaken, but happy she had lasted this long at least. "Aright, here I go." Placing her fingers on her deck, she slowly slid the top card from it and flipped it over. "Ok, I'll play my own drawing card; Pot of Greed. I don't have to pay any high price like you did, but I still draw two new cards." Kaira slid two cards off the top of her deck and smiled at their faces.

"Alright." Nori urged her to make her move.

"Alright, from my graveyard I remove my Kurama in order to summon to my field, Garuda the Wind Spirit (1600/1200) in defense mode."

A large, human shaped monster appeared curled into a ball on its card. The head and wings of an eagle dawned its head and back respectively. Brightly colored red pants were around its legs, the fabric stretched tight as he was bending at the knees.

"And next I summon my Tyhone (1200/1400) in defense mode as well." A strange yellow ball monster appeared next to the crouching spirit monster. Folding its bat like wings around its body, it let its cylindrical shaped mouth point out like a cannon on a pirate ship. Pulling two more cards from her hand, she slid on of them into her duel disk face down. Appearing before her as a set magic or trap card. "I set this card face down on my field. But I then use the magic card, Gryphon's Feather Duster!"

A large white feather appeared behind Kaira's two monster. Sweeping back over her whole field, it picked up the set card like a mop picks up dirt. Sliding the two cards into her graveyard, Kaira smiled as she saw her life point counter shoot up.

Kaira-2800 LP  
Nori-5200 LP

(Agent of Force - Mars 2400/2400)

"Gryphon's Feather Duster, interesting idea." Nori smiled a bit. "Don't see many of those type of cards played. By destroying your set card, you increased your life points by five hundred points."

"That is exactly what happened." Kaira nodded, agreeing with everything Nori had just said. "But sadly that is all I can do this move. Your turn."

"With pleasure." Drawing his card, he pondered his current situation. _"Since the gap between our life points is no longer so large, my Mars now only has 2400 attack power."_ Sliding his newly drawn card into his hand of cards, totaling up to four with the new addition. Whipping his arm out, he pointed to his Agent of Judgement - Saturn. "I activate the ability of my monster, by sacrificing it while my sanctuary is on my side of the field I may deal the difference of my life points directly to yours."

"What!" Kaira felt a wave of fear flush through her face, draining all the color from it. She then quickly whipped up her arm to shield herself from a blinding light that burst out from behind the said Agent monster.

Vanishing in a column of light, the Agent of Judgement - Saturn removed herself from the field sending multiple beams of rainbow colored light shooting towards Kaira. Racing past her two defending monsters, the beams collided into her body, forcing her to slid backwards.

Screams of pain ripped from her lips as the lights pierced right through her.

Kaira-400 LP  
Nori-5200 LP

"Lucky for you, that ends my turn. Take it away, if you can." Nori taunted slightly as his large red monster on the field roared with new-found strength. (Agent of Force - Mars 4800/4800)

* * *

Kiro felt a jerk. Sliding to a complete stop in the middle of a large square roof, his head snapped all the way around, looking about. A sound echoed through the night, shattering the peace that had been blanketed over the city. He was close.

But this sound was more to him. It seemed to hurt. At a speed faster than the naked eye could see, he launched off the roof, crashing into the cold, hard earth below, and vanished into the night, moving faster than any human eye could see.

Bouncing off buildings, street light posts, mailboxes, and other various items that lay around on the street side, sounds echoed through the night as something hit each item.

* * *

Kaira had her arms wrapped tightly around her body and she fell to her knees. Waves of chills ran down her body, causing goose bumps to form on her arms. Breathing hard, she had to whip her head back to throw some of her hair out of her face, but to no avail. Strands of her long, blond hair fell down her face, giving her a battle worn look as she panted for air.

"Four hundred life points left. Not much to work with is it." Nori commented, his arms crossed and his fingers tapping on his opposite arm. Looking around, he just took in the darkness of the sky, the thousand of glowing pin-prick stars. The blackness of the moon with the lining around it where light seemed to be trapped beneath.

"I...am...going..to work...with them." Kaira choked out, forcing herself back to her feet. She brushed her hair out of her face and placed her finger tips on her top card. "I will not lose. Kiro is counting on me! Draw!" She yelled, snapping the top card off her deck. "Cyber Falcon (1400/1200), come forth in defense mode."

She slapped the card down horizontally on her duel disk the moment she drew it. A silver, metallic eagle monster appeared next to her other two monsters. Crouching down on its card, it surrounded itself in its mechanical wings.

"I end my turn." She said with the appearance of her third monster.

"Draw." Nori calmly pulled the top card from his deck and glanced at its face. "I summon out a Mystic Shine Ball in defense mode (500/500)." He placed the newly drawn card on his duel disk horizontally, causing the same image to appear before him. From the image, a small, solid white, spherical monster appeared.

Whipping his arm outwards, he cried out his next command. "Agent of Force - Mars, attack and destroy her Wind Spirit!" Nodding, again, the monster let a battle cry burst from its lips as it charged forward, smashing its weapon down on the crouching bird headed warrior. Blowing apart instantly with the attack. Small, dull, sphere's of data burst outwards and crashed into Kaira's skin. They didn't really hurt her to much, like there wasn't enough force behind them to actually feel more than their presence then nothing.

"That ends my turn." Nori announced as his large, red monster floated back down before him. "Your turn to see if you can pull something else, or am I going to be knocking your monsters down one by one?" Looking down, he saw that one of the cards in his hand was titled; Airknight Parshath. With its power to deal damage through defense, Nori could win this in his next turn by sacrificing his shine ball.

"We will see, won't we." She was reaching for her deck when she realized she couldn't move her right arm at all. Nori looked up to watch her take her turn, but his eyes widened at the sight he saw as well.

Kaira's eyes slowly traced up her arm to see what was going on, that is when she not only saw, but felt the strong grip on her upper arm. Five raven black, ridged fingers clamped around her, preventing her from moving her arm completely. A wave of joy flood through her body as she quickly scaled up the arm attached to the hand with her eyes till she saw Kiro's face. Still a bit disgusted by his red eyes, with streaks of red shooting out of the iris, but just happy to see him.

"Kiro, you came!" She yelled, jumping into his arms. Snarling a bit, he pushed her away from him with such force that she fell backwards on the stone rectangle they were floating on.

"Do not touch me." He spat at her, seeming to be disgusted by the thought. Curling his lip slightly so that long, pointed fangs emphasized his point. Taking a quick glance around the area, his gaze came back to the girl that lay before him. "What the hell do you think you are doing!" He bellowed, his rough course voice sounded nothing like Kiro when he was typically mad, this almost seemed blood-thirsty.

"I was dueling this tester in your place." Kaira shot back in her defense. "He was going to disqualify you and not give you a chance because he can't seem to feel your life presence. You would never get a chance to fulfil your dream."

His eyes, that had been locked on Kaira, slowly drifted up towards Nori. Locking his gaze on him, a strange silence flowed among the whole area. It was Nori that finally broke this silence.

"Oh my." His head dropped to the ground far below them. "What has happed to you? Why are you so different now?" Lifting his head, he directed his question at Kiro.

Growling a bit at being interrogated, he spat back. "I have no clue. But I think I remember what I need to be doing." Holding up his left arm, the white wrist gadget that adorned it began to activate, producing the white dueling plate of solid, condensed light. "I need to kill you in a duel so I can get these damn demons out of my body."

"Once a duel has been started, it cannot stop or be restarted, I'm sorry." Nori objected, waving his arm around his body. "So we cannot restart this game."

"Who said we need to restart?" Kiro growled, fumbling his deck of cards into the deck slot. "I'll just join right in. Its my turn." Placing a rough, black finger on his deck, he pulled the top card off. Not used to dueling with the strange new design to his hands, he seemed to be having some trouble at first. "I can only play the magic card; Dain Keto the Cure Master. My turn is done."

Kaira & Kiro-1400 LP  
Nori-5200 LP

"Alright then, I guess it's the woman's turn now. Go ahead." Nori pointed to Kaira as he talked. She slowly pulled herself off the stone table and stood, ready to duel again.

"I draw then." Kaira said, happy to be having some help, even if he just practically yelled at her for helping him in the first place. Glancing at the card, she sighed. "I end my turn."

"I draw." Nori said, pulling the top card from his deck and adding it to his hand. Looking up, he noticed that his monster was indeed weaker per his own effect (Agent of Force - Mars 3800/3800). _"His Dain Keto raised their life by 1000. Since they are playing as one person, they share the same life point total."_ He pondered, pulling the Mystic Shine Ball of his duel disk. "I sacrafice my Mystic Shine Ball to summon Airknight Parshath in attack mode (1900/1400)."

A heavenly warrior drifted down from the sky above, smashing the orb monster under its feet as it fell. Slicing its large, feathered sword through the air, the monster seemed to positively glow. Stamping its four feet in unison on the invisible ground, it looked like a bull preparing to charge.

"Airknight Parshath, attack her Cyber Falcon now! Heavenly Judgment Sword!" With the attack issued, the monster shot across the field like a bullet, stabbing the sword clear through the body of the mechanical bird. The eruption of data the exploded out after the destruction crashed into Kaira blasting to her so hard she fell backwards again.

The hard chunks of data that crashed into Kiro didn't even seem to phase him a bit.

Kaira & Kiro-700 LP  
Nori-5200 LP

"And my Knight can deal damage through defense. When it does, I get to draw." Nori clarified as he pulled a new card off his deck and added it to his hand. Whipping his arm out so his palm was towards the last defending monster on. "Mars, destroy Tyhone now (4500/4500)!"

Rushing forward, the brutal monster brought his weapon down on the yellow, bat winged monster, destroying it instantly. With its destruction, the Agent of Force - Mars bounced back to his field, leaving Kaira and Kiro completely defenseless.

"Your move." He sighed as he watched Kiro fumbled with his fingers on his cards. Pulling one out awkwardly, his face broke open with a malice smile.

"I drew the magic card, Card of Demise! Its over for you." Kiro slid the card into his dueling plate, before snapping the top five cards off his deck. "Card of Demise lets me draw five cards, but in five turns I lose my entire hand.

Finally starting to pick up the hang of using his fingers while dueling, Kiro fanned out his new hand.Pulling one of the cards out, he recklessly whipped it through the air and slammed it down on the monster zone of his duel plate.

"Come out, Gravekeeper Kiro (1800/1100)!" Before him, the orange bordered card appeared. In a rush of light, a monster that looked exactly like Kiro used to look appeared. His green hair fell over his tan face, and across dark, angered eyes. He flexed muscular body, stretching out for battle.

All around the three duelists, large walls made entirely of stone burst upwards. Covering the whole field, the endless cavern of stone started to produce an eerie fog, drifting its way through the corridors.

Nori covered the top of his head with his hands as a loud, glass shattering noise ripped out from behind him. Turning, he saw that his shining palace, his fortress of the heavens, destroyed itself in the walls of the valley.

"When Gravekeeper Kiro comes to my side of the field, Necrovalley follows suit from my hand, deck, graveyard, or removed from game pile." Kiro smirked, a wicked, low cackled breathed out from under his upturned lip. "And without your little floating temple, you no longer get the effects it gives."

"Oh no!" Nori realized not but a second after Kiro announced that, the he was indeed right. The Gravekeeper monster began to roar as power surged through it. His Agent thought looked drained, all the life sucked from his being by an invisible vacuum cleaner. (Gravekeeper Kiro 2300/1600)(Agent of Force - Mars 0/0)

"Don't worry, I'm not done yet." Kiro announced, holding up another card from his hand. "I tribute my Necrovalley card that Gravekeeper Kiro brought to the field, in order to play Djeser-Djeseru!" Kiro barked out the card name, slamming it into his white duel plate, grabbing the Necrovalley card that was ejected and placing it into his graveyard.

Behind Kaira and Kiro, out of the sides of the deathly valley, a large stone temple of Kiro's very own appeared. Three stories tall, with circular pillars rising up the roof of the layer, setting the floor for the level above it. A large, giant stair case arced its way up the middle of the temple's design to the top of the first floor, and leading back into the second story. The whole temple itself began to glow in an unmistakable ghostly gray light.

"This card does the same basic things as Necrovalley." Kiro explained, his monsters stats unchanging with the new field cards arrival. "Now I set one card face down before my Gravekeeper Kiro attacks and destroys your pathetic Agent of Force - Mars!" A ripple of yellow and white light below Kiro indicated a card had been set down. Then, the Kiro look alike monster began to charge across the field.

Kiro again felt an out-of-body experience, he could feel himself running in the body of his monster. He felt himself springboard off the invisible floor, launching himself high above the red skinned angel monster. The gravity that pulled on his body made him fall faster towards the opposing monster. He felt his fist tighten, and he also felt the pleasure of drilling it into the face of the monster, instantly blowing it to pieces.

Kaira & Kiro-700 LP  
Nori-3700 LP

* * *

Kooru's head jerked up suddenly, his silver hair whipping back with such a quick movement. Before the three of the demons, a bright, violent light was erupting with volcanic force. The three of them, still trapped in the spheres floating in the sea of flames, could see that in the middle of this mini sun, that they could see the same dull mental chamber the three of them have shared for all of Kiro's life.

"Our exit!" Heruru yelled, ramming into the side of his own sphere, pushing himself towards the light. "Quickly you idiots, we don't know how long this will last or if it will ever happen again!"

"He has a point." Kooru nodded, throwing all caution to the wind, he rammed into the side of his own sphere to push himself forward. Hebanu followed suit, and the three of them began to bounce their way across the ocean of embers.

Heruru was the first to reach the glowing portal. His bubble crashing into the middle of it, right where the image was, he felt a strain on the outside of the prison he was entrapped in. The bubble popped with a loud, bursting noise, and Heruru fell flat on his face. His body spread out on the cold floor of the mind chamber.

Kooru and Hebanu soon were at the glowing portal as well, their bubbles popping as they went through. Each landing on the floor with Heruru. Scurrying to their feet, the three of them quickly attempted to make a mental contact with Kiro. Though things were very static still, they could see that Kiro was dueling, and that Gravekeeper Kiro had just launched an attack.

"I see." Kooru began to rub his chin thoughtfully. "I can't take control of his body yet, but lets hope that he doesn't naturally reject us like he did the first time."

* * *

Kiro's being snapped back into his body as the attack finished. His monster jumped back to his field, and stood proudly besides it master.

"Not only did you take the 2300 attack points of damage from the battle, but Gravekeeper Kiro also deals you 200 points of damage for each monster with Gravekeeper on my field. Since he himself counts, you took a total of 2500 points of damage this turn." Kiro smirked, almost demonically, as he recalled the effect of Gravekeeper Kiro. His eyes flickering down at a strange thing catching his eye. On the back of his right hand, on the leather glove, the three orbs that contained the demon's spirits were glowing again. The colors had returned to them, making them glow intensely from time to time, and dull the next, only to shoot back to life.

Ignoring it, he pointed to Kaira.

"Your move." He snarled, almost displeased.

"Fine, fine." Kaira jerked back at the rude tone in Kiro's voice. "Draw." Sliding the top card off her deck, she quickly added it to her hand. _"I wish Kiro would have taken out Airknight Parshath and left me to deal with Mars. I don't have an attack point strong enough to be of any use against that beast."_ Kaira mentally complained, looking at her hand of monster cards. Pulling one of them out, she placed it on her duel disk. "I summon Skull Red Bird in defense mode (1550/1200). That ends my turn."

A red bird monster appeared crouched over its card. Folding its yellowish-orange wings around its body to protect itself, it let out a shrill scream with is appearance.

"Then it comes to me to move. I draw first." He said, sliding the top card off his deck and looked upon its face. "And I shall use it, Mystical Space Typhoon destroys your field card, and leaving all your hard work for nothing."

A violent wind ripped out of the hologram produced by the card, it tore at the walls of the valley, pulling rocks into a massive cyclone. It crashed into the stone temple behind Kiro, drilling its way right through the middle of it. A loud explosion ripped through the area as the whole field around the three of them came crashing down. When it was over, a layer of fog was all that remained, floating around their feet but quickly dispersing outwards into the night.

"You waste your time, as well as mine." Kiro smiled darkly, picking up a card that was ejected from his graveyard. "Djeser-Djeseru has the power to return that Necrovalley card that I used to bring it out, from my graveyard or removed from play pile to my hand." Kiro said, holding up the said card to prove it. (Gravekeeper Kiro 1800/1100)

"It doesn't matter, I win anyways. Airknight Parshath, attack the Skull Red Bird now!" Nori ordered, whipping his arm out towards the maroon bird. Galloping forwards, his knight monster wielded its sword back, ready to pierce through the defending monster.

"I don't know why I bother." Kiro sighed, pressing a button on his duel disk. His set card flipped up and began to glow. "Saving worthless humans is pointless, but I still activate my set Negate Attack to stop your attack."

The Airknight was shocked as it thrust forward its sword, only to have it sink deep into a vortex that appeared inches in front of the bird monster. Pulling back its sword in a bit of disappointment, it galloped back to Nori's field.

Glancing down at his hand, Nori looked up rather disappointed. "I end my turn, there is nothing else I can do."

"Good, good." Kiro snarled, drawing his next card. "This duel is as good as over, I replay the magic card, Necrovalley!" Around the three of them again, the large stone walls shot up from around them, creating the same ghostly feeling as before. "And I summon out my monster, Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier (1500/1000)(2000/1500) in attack mode."

Appearing next to Gravekeeper Kiro, the tan Egyptian warrior monster wielding a golden staff like spear. Twirling it around through the air, it snapped it down in so point it towards the opponent.

"Don't wait any more my monster, attack Airknight Parshath with spear stab!" With that, the monster went racing across the field. With one swift movement, it hurled the spear towards the monster, stabbing right through the chest plate. Pulling it back out, the monster cried out in pain as it blew to pieces.

Kaira & Kiro-700 LP  
Nori-3600 LP

"Gravekeeper Kiro! Direct attack now!" Kiro bellowed, snapping his hand forward, extending the black fingers upwards and the palm facing towards Nori. Without a second hesitation, the monster began to move, drawing out Kiro's spirit to inhabit into the body of the monster again. "Gravekeeper Kiro will deal you the normal 2300 damage, as well as an aditional 400 points cause of my two Gravekeeper's!" Kiro's duelist body yelled out just as Gravekeeper Kiro punched Nori right in the gut, doubling him over.

Kaira & Kiro-700 LP  
Nori-900 LP

Withdrawing his fist, Gravekeeper Kiro launched himself back to Kiro's field, pulling his body into a fighter stance once again.

"I end my turn." Kiro growled, looking over at Kaira. "Do not screw this up, you can win right here." He snarled at her.

"I won't." She snapped back, pulling the top card off her deck. "I first move my Skull Red Bird back into attack mode." Rotating the card on her duel disk, the maroon colored bird monster stood straight up and stretched out is wings. "And it will attack you directly!" She yelled, pointing towards Nori.

With a mighty flap of its wings, a thousand or so razor sharp knives when flying from the feather folds in its wings. All of them aimed at Nori, racing past him with tremendous speed. The rain of daggers was so fast, that the cuts he took from the blades took a while to even start to bleed. He screamed with pain as the daggers finally started to take their toll on him.

Kaira & Kiro-700 LP  
Nori-0 LP

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And Kaira delt the finial blow on the toughest duel of her entire life. Though she couldn't have done it without the help of Kiro, even if he was angry to do it. What will come next? We'll just have to wait and see. Have a nice day!  
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	36. Information Gathered, Daiki Arrives!

Chapter 36: Information Gathered, Daiki Arrives!

Kiro looked into the mirror, an angered, hate filled face glared back at him. Tilting his head down again, he felt the ice cold water rushing through his black, rough, claw like fingers. He flexed them, rolling them in and stretching them back out. Sighing, he glanced back up at the mirror, his wild green hair flowing down in front of his unhuman, red, patterned eyes.

His mind raced back. The night before seemed to rush to him in big clumps of times he had no control over himself, and then finally realizing where he was.

_/Flashback/_

_/ "I end my turn." Kiro growled, looking over at Kaira. "Do not screw this up, you can win right here." He snarled at her. _

"_I won't." She snapped back, pulling the top card off her deck. "I first move my Skull Red Bird back into attack mode." Rotating the card on her duel disk, the maroon colored bird monster stood straight up and stretched out is wings. "And it will attack you directly!" She yelled, pointing towards Nori. _

_With a mighty flap of its wings, a thousand or so razor sharp knives when flying from the feather folds in its wings. All of them aimed at Nori, racing past him with tremendous speed. The rain of daggers was so fast, that the cuts he took from the blades took a while to even start to bleed. He screamed with pain as the daggers finally started to take their toll on him._

_Kaira & Kiro-700 LP  
__Nori-0 LP_

_Falling forward, Nori's body crashed to the stone tablet where he stood to duel. Hanging over the edge, from his stomach up, he seemed pretty lifeless. The only reason anyone knew of the life that still was in him, was the fact that he spoke to them. _

"_Well, well, well." He spat out, a puddle of blood was forming around his body from the endless streams rushing out of his wounds. "I have to admit, you both did well. Your next test, the test of the Sea Green Moon, will begin tomorrow night. You'll have to be on top of it Kiro, we no longer have the power to sense your presence." _

_With his finial words spoken, Nori's body slipped of the edge of the platform. Tumbling through the air until he crashed down on the cold, hard earth below. The rectangular stone, that acted as a dueling stage, began to shake and quiver in mid-air. It lost all the power holding it up, and crashed down on Nori's lifeless body. _

_Kiro's and Kaira's slowly lowered itself to the ground. Fitting snugly back into the break in the concrete, it appeared as if it hadn't moved at all. _

_With out warning, Kaira turned and jumped into Kiro's arms. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she hugged him tightly. He, even though he saw it coming, felt helpless to move or stop the girl. He stood there in a bit of a daze as she hugged him._

"_Kiro! Thank you for saving me. Thank you for coming. I missed you so much, I was so scared!" She sobbed, rubbing into his shoulder a bit./_

_/End Flashback/_

Kiro walked out of the bathroom and walked down the hallway to the living room. He, as well as Kaira and Chao had gone back to Katana's house when the excitement of the previous night had come to a close.

He walked extra slowly, his foot falls echoing even through the carpeted floor. Walking around a recliner, he parked his rear end in it. Sighing, he looked up at Kaira, Chao and Deo. They were huddled around a coffee table.

"Checkmate!" Deo screamed, throwing his hands back.

Kaira stared down at the chess board in complete shock. Chao just laughed at her. Her complete shock put her into a speechless gawking at that checkered playing mat and the black and white pieces.

"...you're really good at this game Deo." She finally was able to come up with something to say. The overwhelming number of pieces Deo had left and the inescapable trap he had locked her into so quickly baffled her. "I think I'll stick with playing Duel Monsters."

"I bet you would!" Chao snickered. "That is what, the eighth...no wait! The ninth time he has just beaten you."

"Its not so easy! He's really good!" She snapped back, wiping the board clean with a quick jerk of her arm. "Set up again Deo, I have revenge to take!"

Kiro watched, but with a less than interested expression dotting his face. His mind was still wondering, back to the events that took place the night before hand.

_/Flashback/_

_/Finally, Kaira pushed herself away from Kiro. Looking up, she shrank back at the mere sight of Kiro's otherworldly eyes. His stoic expression offered no warmth, but really didn't emit any coldness either. _

"_What has happened to you Kiro? Why do you look so different?" Kaira questioned. She watched as Kiro's pupil less eyes drifted to the left hand corner of his eyeball. _

_Chao slid to a stop next to the two of them. Looking back and forth between the two of them, he was afraid to say anything that might upset this tense silence. _

_Kiro's eyes widened, his gaze dropping to the leather glove that adorned his right fist. The gray orb on it began to glow brightly, seeming to rotate in is socket. Kiro's hair shifted from its normal green, to a shade of calm, collected gray. Kooru was now in charge. _

"_Its good to be out of that bubble." Were the first words he spoke, stretching out in Kiro's body. Getting confused looks from the other two, he cleared his throat before talking again. "Well, I have a theory about what is going on, but I am not totally 100 percent sure myself. Listen to this as well Kiro." _

_Taking his gaze down to the rough, black material made fingers, he brought them up to his face really close. Studying them with intense interest, he finally let them drop to his side. _

"_Kiro has harbored our spirits ever since he was passed down this glove holding our very souls. If he hasn't told you guys already, Hebanu, Heruru and I are all of demonic origin. Thus being so, something that no one predicted to happen, did. With us sharing bodies, our demonic energy built up inside of him. But it lay doormat because it was not the right type of energy for his body to work with. Basically, it was rejected by his human body. _

"_But, it seems that in a fit of rage and anger, he tapped into this pocket of demon energy. It erupted outwards and consumed his heart and soul. He, as far as I can tell, is a good majority demon now. Very little of him is human, if any at all." _

"_So now...Kiro is a demon?" Chao couldn't quite register that fact to be true. "That doesn't seem possible. How come Kiro's father, or grandfather, or however far back this goes didn't turn into a demon from having you guy's souls in their bodies?" _

"_Like I said." Kooru said, turning to the questioner. "I believe that a fit of rage tapped into this power and caused it to explode."_

"_But wait." Kaira spoke up, her voice wavering at what she was hearing, her mind racing to find any explanation that would prove Kooru wrong. "You mean to tell me that no one else ever had a fit of rage?" _

"_Well, not like the one Kiro had." Kooru's head dropped down to the cold, gray concrete below them. "Kiro was in a fight for his very life. The instinct he had to live must have made his body reach out for any way, any last hope for survival. The anger must have also made the demonic energy burst up, causing the searching of Kiro's body to survived to grasp onto it cause of its mass amount of power. Thinking that is was the last choice it had to survive. Kiro's body must have then adapted to it, changing him into...this." Kooru brought his hands up, motioning to Kiro's body. Looking up, his eyes were rippling with a mix of blood red and gray. The unnatural state of them made Kaira and Chao shrink back away from Kooru. "...and I don't know if its reversible or not." /_

_/End Flashback/_

"Checkmate!" Deo screamed again, throwing himself onto the floor behind him. Giggling uncontrollably, he looked very pleased with yet another victory to add under his belt.

"How did you learn to get so good!" Kaira questioned the young boy, standing up in a fit of frustration.

"Oh, don't be angry at him." Chao smirked. "Its just a friendly game. So what if he can whoop your butt ten times running."

"I know." Kaira's head bowed downwards. She looked as if she was ashamed of her outburst, but her head quickly rose again. "So, how did you get to be so good? Who taught you how to play?"

The kid stopped rolling about on the floor, his expression shifting south. The bitterness that coursed through his eyes made both Kaira and Chao shrink back.

"I taught myself, I watched people playing in parks and such, and I just got into the game myself." He answered, the forcefulness behind it was more than apparent. "Played against those people in the parks until I was able to beat them all."

Chao's head bowed. _"The kid must not have had any family ever. I never really thought about it."_ His thoughts sent sympathy to the poor kid. Lifting his head, he saw haw sad it was for Deo to even reveal that much. _"Really hurts him."_ He shifted his head upwards and saw Kiro sitting in the recliner. "Hey Kiro, what's on your mind?" He question in an attempt to change the subject.

Snarling a bit, Kiro jerked his head away. "None of your business." Came his abrupt response. Crossing his arms across his chest, he continued to glare off into space next to his chair.

"_It hurts him to face what he has become."_ Kaira concluded, looking at Kiro's visible changes.

His hands and feet that now were more claw like, ridged and raven black with lime green lines cracking across its surface. The metallic looking red palm that stretched up his wrist and then his arm until it vanished under his shirt. His eyes which gave only circles of red iris's, no pupil what-so-ever and the streaks of blood red lines that shot across the rest of his eye ball. Even stranger, Kiro was still changing. His ears were now a bit more pointed at the top, like what people think elves ears look like.

"_Kiro is now a demon, and I think he is becoming more so."_ Kaira pondered, looking at his appearance.

The thick, heavy silence that had blanketed the room make them all feel uncomfortable. Shifting uneasily, they looked back and forth. Chao was the first to shatter the stillness.

"Deo, let me see how good you really are at this game." He got up, and motioned for Kaira to slide over so he could site on the side of the chess board. "I used to play chess all the time with my grandfather. I bet I could take you."

"Yay! Fresh challenger! Let's play." And with that, the two of them began to reset the chess board with the pieces in their correct spots. They both were very methodical with their moves. Calculating every possible outcome and how everything needed to fall.

Katana walked in the room just as soon as Deo once again screamed 'checkmate!'. She laughed at the noises of astonishment that were escaping Chao's lips. Turning, her natural reaction was still to sink backwards at the sight of Kiro. His appearance was defanently shocking to one who had known him so long as a human.

"So what is next? Do any of you know?" Katana asked, drawing the four heads towards her. Kaira, Chao and Deo just shook their head as they had no idea. Kiro though came up with the obvious answer.

"The next trial."

"Well yeah, but what will you be up against?" She questioned, trying to get a better answer out of the green haired demon-boy.

"I won't know until I am being tested, like always." He turned his head downward and saw his duel disk laying on the floor by the couch where he had left it when he had disappeared into the restroom. Bending over, he picked it up and slid it back on his left arm. "Whatever it is, I will win."

"Your confidence is admirable, but don't get too cocky. I'm sure that will come back and bit you in the butt." She warned as she turned and made her way from the living room. Growling, he chose to ignore that advice completely.

Drawing out his deck of cards, he flipped them over as careful as he could with his new claws. Fanning them out, he glanced over each of their faces. _"I am confident only because I have the power to be so. I've proven myself far enough times so far."_

_("No, had you proven yourself enough,")_ Kooru's voice interrupted Kiro's thoughts, _("we would be out of this prison.")_

"_So now I'm a prison to you?"_ Kiro shot back.

_("You always have been.")_ Heruru growled back. _("Just keep yourself though, three more trials and you will be totally freed of us and we will be able to walk among the living again.")_

Sighing, Kiro began to shuffle his deck. Looking at the clock, he saw that it was already the afternoon. Not to much longer until the trial to begin. He wondered what kind of tactics would be thrown his way this time, they seem to have no order and no structure. Just powerful decks of whatever their choosing might be.

"_I don't care, I will beat them all and get your three parasites out of my body."_ Kiro growled back, placing his shuffled deck back into his deck holder on his white duel disk. _"Then I can finally move on with my life." _

_("So now were parasites?")_ Heruru shot back, clenching his fist tightly to threaten Kiro.

"_If I'm your prison, you my parasites."_ A twisted smirk curled up the corner of his lips as he felt Heruru sink back, defeated in words. Kiro felt a new sense of pride, he had never really shut Heruru up like that. He felt power in his new state, more respect from the demons who now he shared the same title with

Getting to his feet, he stretched out. Kaira, Chao and Deo stood up with him wondering what he was going to do.

"Since the testers have no way to tell if I'm even alive anymore, I suppose that I should go wonder around the city and hope that we run into each other." Kiro announced as he started to head for the front door.

"Wait!" Kaira yelled after him, stopping him dead in his tracks. Turning too look at her, she shrank back with the malic that course through his eyes. Even so, she stood her ground and looked back at him. "You think it is wise to walk around in plain daylight looking like you do?"

"She has a point." Chao nodded, agreeing with the blond haired girl. "We have no clue how people are going to react to you. Your now...well, now your pretty unnatural."

"Wait, I have an idea!" Deo announced, running out of the living room. After a few moments, he returned with a fresh pair of shoes, some gloves and a pair of sunglasses. Handing them to Kiro, he smiled showing his dirty teeth, with a few gaping holes were he was toothless.

Taking the shoes from the kid, Kiro looked them over. Looking back down he picked up the gloves and looked them over. They were nice work gloves with a bit of weathering under their belt.

"Kid, they are about two sizes too big for me." He said finally, getting a nod from him.

"That they are. If they were your size, or the size you used to wear, your claws would tear right through them." He explained, motioning to the floor where Kiro tapped his black, ridged toes that looked identical to his new fingers.

A long, drawn out silence filled the room before Kiro attempted to start pulling on the yellow and black work gloves. Careful to not rip the sides up on the ridged spikes of his fingers, he finally managed to get both of them all the way on. Dropping the shoes to the ground, he slowly slid the five, long, black, pointed toes into the hole.

Deo and Kaira bent down and helped Kiro tie up the laces, pulling the shoe tight around his ankle so that the chance of his foot falling out was slim. It had taken an awkward shape, the whole body of it shrinking back, strung out to become the long claws.

Sliding the sunglasses over his odd eyes, Kiro, Chao, Kaira, and Deo all wandered out of the house and down the street. The four of them prepared to wonder aimlessly until time for the test.

* * *

Darkness flowed over the city quickly, the milky line of stars rushed through the sky. As promised, the sky was enlightened by a calming watery appearance from the color of the sea green moon. The aquatic light gleaming off of the windows of the buildings, making the area very tranquil and peaceful. 

"Where is this asshole?" Kiro growled, growing irritated that they were walking in big circles and getting nowhere. That, and the other three didn't wonder if the moon didn't make Kiro's demon blood boil. "They'd better get her soon. I'm not about to stand here and waste my time waiting for some asshole that doesn't even want to show up." Kiro vented, smashing his fist into the side of brick wall and continued to walk down the sidewalk.

Kaira, Chao and Deo all stopped when they saw the damage that Kiro had inflicted on the wall. The dent in the brick seemed unnatural, cracks were spider webbing their way across the face of the wall. Looking back and forth between each other, they decided that nothing needed to be said and they chased after Kiro.

Finally catching up to their buddy, they found him stopped in the midst of a construction zone. Fenced off by large, light brown boards that stretched high into the air, the area was concealed from the people wondering in. Though they stupidly left the gateway wide open.

Kiro stood staring at a robed figure who silently stared back at him. Smirking, Kiro flexed his claws out. He began to advance on the robbed figure with incredible speed. Thrusting his claws forward, Kiro attempted to shish kabob the tester through the chest.

"Die now!" He roared, a demonic furry as well as a bit of pleasure erupted from deep in his throat.

"No." The calm response from the tester stopped Kiro dead in his tracks. Lifting his head, the robed figure grabbed a hold of the black robe and ripped it off his body. Whipping it around his body, he threw it high into the air and let it float away in the night breeze.

He had a smooth, thin and wiry frame. His hair was brushed back but still spiked up, a pale yellow in color. His eyes were a cool, steel tinted brown color, with the customary triangles drawn underneath. Curling the corner of his lips into a smile, he held up his left arm. On it, a pale blue shield rested that seemed pretty small.

"We shall do battle with our cards instead of with our fists." He spoke, his noble voice making Kiro shrink back in shame against his will. "And we shall see if you truly are good enough to release the demons into the world."

The shield on his arm sprung to life, flipping open panels and turning into more a duel disk type of device. A small, mechanical arm appeared from the far side of it, arching its way down so it rested next to the shield. In its grips was the golden hilt of a sword, the blade popping out and sliding down to form the dueling field. In the center of the shield, a panel flipped over revealing a life point counter, marking the start of the duel.

Growling, Kiro held up his own left arm, the white wrist gadget producing the pure white dueling plate. The life point counter on it came to life, dialing up to 5000. Walking back so that there was a good amount of distance between him and the tester, he placed his shuffled deck into the duel disk.

"Its time to start this test. Let's get this duel over with." Kiro growled, sliding the top five cards from his deck. The gloves make it hard to hold the cards properly, so he pulled them off with incredible speed and let them drop to the ground next to him. Fanning them out, he looked over the possibilities in combos. Reaching up, he pulled his sunglasses off, showing his demonic eyes were burning with rage.

"My name is Daiki, tester of the Sea Green Moon, and the eighth trial you must face." Daiki spoke as he was pulling the top cards from his own deck. "So close to the end Kiro, I would hate to see that you fail here on me. My turn first, I draw a card." He announced, snapping the top card off his deck with authority.

Kiro-5000 LP  
Daiki-5000 LP

"First up," Daiki grabbed one of the cards in his hand and thrust it down onto his metal duel disk. Stream of light rushed through the device as the card was read and produced into a hologram. A young, blond haired warrior monster, clad in light blue armor appeared before him. "I summon my Marauding Captain (1200/400) in attack mode. By his special ability, I get to summon an ally of his to the battle ground. I call out now, Command Knight (1200/1900)."

A new monster appeared next to the first, this one decorated in lovely brown battle armor. She whipped her sword out of her sheath, slashing it through the air until it was resting inches from the Marauding Captain's breast plate.

"Command Knight raises the attack power of all warriors on my side of the field by 400 points." Daiki went on to explain, his Command Knights swords beginning to glow in a faint, reddish aura (Marauding Captain 1600/400)(Command Knight 1600/1900). "That is all I can do this turn, but before I end, I cover two cards from my hand." Daiki announced, sliding two magic/trap cards from his hand into slots on the swords blade. They appeared in a rush of light behind his two monsters.

"Draw!" Kiro snapped the top card from his deck and slashed it through the air. "Your double warrior force doesn't scare me in the least, Daiki. I summon a much stronger and better looking monster, Gravekeeper Kiro come out (1800/1100)!" A blast of light on Kiro's field blinded both duelists for a few seconds before they witness the arrival of the avatar of Kiro himself. The buff, shirtless Gravekeeper landed on the field.

Kiro next pulled out his deck from the duel slot and fanned it out so he could see it all. Spotting the one he wanted, he slid it out of the deck with his thumb than slid it into the side of the white dueling plate of light.

"When Gravekeeper Kiro is summoned to my field, Necrovalley is pulled from anywhere and placed on my field." Kiro recited, dark tendrils of sound coursed through his voice as he was showing his pleasure in his move. His monster flexed his muscles as power began to course right through him (2300/1600).

"Impressive opening play Kiro Rinku, just as I would expect. Just so you know though," Daiki pointed to his two monsters that rested on his field. "My Captain prevents you from attacking another warrior on the field, which just works in sync with my Knight, cause it can't be attacked if I have another monster on the field anyways."

"Fine with me, Gravekeeper Kiro, attack and destroy his Marauding Captain now!" Kiro shouted, whipping his arm violently through the air. Snapping it down so it was pointed directly at the young warrior. With a massive push off of his legs, Gravekeeper Kiro sped through mid-air towards the monster. Winding back its fist, it jerked it forward towards its target, only to feel a pain rip through its chest.

"Open reverse card! Kunai with Chain is a trap that switches the mode of your monster to defense mode." Daiki smirked as his set card, already flipped up, had stopped the advancing monster in mid air. The metal was smashed against the chest of the Gravekeeper, stunning him completely and forcing him to fall to the ground below. Stumbling back to Kiro's field, he fell down on his knees.

"So you stopped me." Kiro growled, sliding his card on his duel disk into a horizontal position.

"Not only that, but Kunai with Chain also equips now to my Marauding Captain, giving him an additional 500 attack points." Daiki explained as the long chain was wound around the young warriors hand. He gripped the metal end and smirked at his new power (2100/400).

"I set one card on my field." Kiro continued, anger running through his voice. The new card flashed to life below Kiro. "I end my turn there."

"Good." Daiki nodded, placing his fingers on the top card of his deck. "This will be fun. I first draw." He slid the top card from its place on the top of his deck and slid it into his hand. Taking another card from his hand he slid it into the sword dueling plate. "I start my turn with the magic card Pot of Greed. This gives me the power to draw twice more."

Moving back to his deck, he pulled the top two cards from it and added them to his hand quickly. Smirking at the cards he saw, he grabbed one of them and held it up.

"And this magic card becomes your undoing. I play the magic of Allied Forces!" Sliding the card into his duel disk, the hologram appeared next to him in a ripple of white and yellow light. The card image began to glow, sending streams of light towards his two monsters. "The Allied Forces increases the attack of all warriors on my field by 200 points for each other warrior type or magic user on my field." Daiki explained, his two monsters roaring with power (Marauding Captain 2500/400)(Command Knight 2000/1900).

"Such attack power from two really weak monsters." Kiro muttered under his breath, astonished at the incredible force now staring him down.

"Yes, my monsters may have been weak in attack power to start with, but..." Daiki moved his right hand over his chest, letting it rest on his heart. "...A true warrior in battle will help his allies no matter what. No one is ever left behind to die alone. My monsters are true warriors, they always have each others backs."

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And we move on to Daiki, the eighth tester. Will Kiro have enough power to best Daiki and his 'true warriors' or are they going to be the ending point for him. Either way, you'll just need to wait until my next update to find out. Till then, have a nice day!  
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	37. True Warrior! Kiro vs Daiki

Chapter 37: True Warrior! Kiro vs Daiki

The Marauding Captain (2500/400) and the Command Knight (2000/1900) roared as a yellow colored aura burst around their bodies, begin strengthen by the magic card; Allied Forces. Slicing her sword through the air, the Command Knight whipped it down so it was pointed at Kiro. The Marauding Captain wielded back its right hand that still held its Kunai with Chain weapon.

"Such attack power from two really weak monsters." Kiro muttered under his breath, astonished at the incredible force now staring him down.

"Yes, my monsters may have been weak in attack power to start with, but..." Daiki moved his right hand over his chest, letting it rest on his heart. "...A true warrior in battle will help his allies no matter what. No one is ever left behind to die alone. My monsters are true warriors, they always have each others backs."

Kiro's eyes widened as he saw what Daiki meant.

"Now go Command Knight, attack his Gravekeeper Kiro!" Daiki yelled out, thrusting his arm towards the monster to emphasize the attack. Crouching down first, his monster burst off into a charge, letting a battle cry escape her lips into the night air. Whistling was heard as the sword was ripped through the air, slashing across the chest of the Gravekeeper. Roaring in pain, it exploded into dark, spherical data bits that whizzed through the air.

Kiro didn't even shield himself from the dull orbs that crashed into his skin. He couldn't feel them like he once could. What hurt him worse was from deep inside, the feeling that a part of him had died with the monster that was just slain.

"Now my Captain, your move to do some damage!" Daiki yelled, bringing his arm back to his body, clenching his hand into a fist. "Direct attack on his live points!"

Whipping his arm forward, the young blond warrior let the massive metal boomerang slip out of his fingers. Spinning like a buzz saw, it hurdled through the air towards Kiro. As it neared closer, the sharp, metal points found themselves lodged into the chest cavity of a monster that sprung up out of nowhere.

"I opened my set card, Rite of Spirit." Kiro explained, motioning to his now face-up trap card. It was glowing with a ghostly white aura as it activated. "This let me bring back Gravekeeper Kiro in defense mode so that your attack won't damage me."

"Cleaver." Daiki complimented, letting his arm fall to the side. "Well, either way, my Captain rips it to shreds. Your defensive wall is destroyed, and this again leaves you without a shield monster."

The Gravekeeper monster faded off the field, letting the metal boomerang fall to the ground with a loud 'thud'. Pulling back on the chain, the Marauding Captain showed impressive skill in handling the weapon. Whipping it with ease through the air he caught it in his hand and slashed it down to his side. A cold smirk of triumph still creased his face with clearing Kiro's field.

"This concludes my move." Daiki spoke with vigor as his monsters returned to a defensive battle position, waiting for Kiro's counterattack. "Take it away Kiro Rinku, show me the power that has beaten the seven testers before me."

"Whatever." Kiro growled, snapping the top card off his deck for his move. Flipping the card over he slid it into his duel disk without a second thought. "I activate my own Pot of Greed." He announced, sliding the next two cards from his deck and adding them to his hand. "Alright, I summon out my Gravekeeper Spear Soldier next, in attack mode (1500/1000)."

Appearing in a blast of lights, a tan Egyptian warrior monster appeared. Flicking his wrist down, he angled the decorated spear he held towards the ground. Bending at the knees he prepared to launch himself forward.

"My monster gains power from my Necrovalley magic card." Kiro recited as the field around him began to produce mass amounts of ghostly white fog. The Spear Soldier seemed pleased as his own power shot upwards (2000/1500). "I'll set two cards on my field and end my turn." Kiro growled, sliding two of the cards in his hand into his duel disk. They appeared behind his monster with a flash of light.

"_That move didn't get him very far. He needs to take out my Captain before he can even touch my Command Knight. My Captain is still 500 attack points stronger than his newly summoned monster."_ Narrowing his brow, Daiki's eyes shifted to the two brown backed cards that were now behind his opponents monster. _"He must be planning to trap me with one or both of his covered cards."_

"Do you want to quit?" Kiro asked, smirking with Daiki's hesitation.

"Never." Daiki shook his head, a smile creasing across his face. "But brute force in battle only kills you faster. Making a tactical plan is always more acceptable. Alright, my draw." He drew the top card of his deck and added it to his hand. "My next monster is a legend of his own time. Though most people never see his great power because no one bothers to look."

"What?" Kiro cocked his head to the side as Daiki held up a card from his hand. Moving it down, he placed it on the blade like dueling plate.

"But as you will see, even legendary warriors can be even stronger with the right team work. I summon my Masaki the Legendary Swordsman (1100/1100)." A card hologram appeared before Daiki, glowing with a bright white light, the yellow bordered card produced a slim samurai monster clad in green armor. "This legendary warrior gains 400 points first from my Command Knight, but it also gains 600 points for there being three warriors on my side of the field, as well as my Captain and my Knight being powered up as well." Daiki proudly exclaimed as his green bordered card began glowing again.

(Marauding Captain 2700/400)(Command Knight 2200/1900)(Masaki the Legendary Swordsman 2100/1100)

"Even my weakest monster can take you out now, but wait." Daiki pulled a new card from his hand and added it to his duel disk. "I shall boost my swordsman power with a new sword of incredible might. Divine Sword - Phoenix Blade! Thus powering up Masaki by 300 more attack points (2400/1100)."

The young veteran allowed a golden hilt sword to materialize in his hands. Decorated lovely to resemble phoenix wings, the handle was lovely and set off the long, sharp, metallic blade.

"Alright Command Knight, attack his spear monster now! Commanding Sword of Justice!" Daiki's monster accepted the order and took of charging across the field, its sword wielded back behind it head in an attempt to attack the monster. Suddenly though, its advance was halted by a massive uprush of wind.

"Trap card go! Windstorm of Etaqua places all your monsters on the defensive." Kiro yelled slashing his claws through the air as one of his set cards flipped up. The three warrior monster crashed down to their knees, their respective cards materializing beneath them. "This saved my monster, but not only that, it put your monsters on the defensive and opened up their weakness."

"Weakness?" Daiki cocked an eyebrow at Kiro. "What weakness has that exposed?"

"Your monsters banded together on the offensive, but all their defense points stayed pretty low." Kiro smirked, motioning to his Spear Soldier. "My monster has the power to shred defenses and take chunks out of your life. Care to end your turn so I can get on with destroying you?"

"Be my guest. I am done." The yellow haired man stated, crossing his arms the best his could with the duel disk there.

"Good, draw!" Kiro cried, snapping the top card off his deck and whipping it through the air. "First things first, I set this monster face down on my field." Kiro announced, placing one of the cards in his hand on the plate of light. The brown backed card appeared next to his spear wielding monster. "Now Spear Soldier, attack and destroy his Command Knight and take a chunk out of his life points!"

Rushing forward, the tan Egyptian warrior stabbed the spear deep into the chest of the young warrior. Cracks spread from the circular wound on the breast plate of the monster as he cried out in pain.

"And now you are going to lose the difference of your defense points from my attack points. That's 1600 points of damage to you!" Kiro smirked darkly, pointed to Daiki. Stunned, Kiro let his arm fall when Daiki shook his head in disagreement with Kiro.

"I have opened one of my set cards." He replaied, showing that he had one card still set on the field. Flipping up, it began to activate by sending rays of light showing over his side of the field. "This card is known as Triumphant Hero's Shield. When I receive damage from a battle involving a warrior type monster, I reduce that damage by 700 for every warrior monster I have left on my field." He motioned to the two defending monsters he still had on his field. "Because I have two more warriors, I reduce that damage by 1400 points. I will only receive 200 of that original damage you wanted to deal me."

Kiro-5000 LP  
Daiki-4800 LP

"Though with an ally gone, my two other monsters don't have such ferocity to their attacks anymore (Command Knight 2000/1900)(Masaki the Legendary Swordsman 2200/1100)." Daiki frowned having to slid his young captain into the graveyard along with the said trap that spared most of his life.

"Yes, makes your monsters what they should be. Weak and pathetic. I end my turn." Kiro smirked at Daiki's frustration to the insult.

"I'll show you the power of teamwork. I draw!" He yelled, snapping the top card off his deck and flicking his wrist up so he could see its face. Deciding to save it for a later move, he stuffed it into his hand and grabbed one of the other cards that rested there. "I cover this card on my field." He announced, sliding the card into the blade duel disk. "The next thing I do is move my two warriors into battle position." He called out, shifting the two cards on his duel disk vertically.

Standing up, the two warriors slashed their swords through the night sky, arcing them down into a battle stance.

"Masaki, attack his Spear Soldier now! Phoenix Blade Slash!" Daiki cried the attack that his green armored warrior wanted to hear. Charging across the field, the monster brought the long metal blade down across the Egyptian man's body. Sparks of flame licked off the wound before the monster exploded on the spot.

Kiro-4800 LP  
Daiki-4800 LP

"Command Knight, attack his set defender now! Commanding Sword of Justice!" Daiki continued his assault, ordering the neatly dressed warrior to attack. With a graceful stab of its sword, the monster stabbed through the middle of the brown backed card that was acting as a shield for Kiro.

"Come forth my set monster." Kiro smirked as the knight withdrew her sword and jumped back to Daiki's field. The attacked card flipped over and out of it another Egyptain warrior appeared crouched over. "Gravekeeper's Spy (1200/2000)(1700/2500) not only is powered by my field magic card, acting as a wonderful shield to your attacks, but lets me also summon my Gravekeeper's Assailant to the field."

Kiro-4800 LP  
Daiki-4300 LP

Appearing next to the crouching monster, a large black robed warrior materialized. In its hand in held a wavy silver bladed knife like an assassin. All of its face but its two angry eyes was covered by the black felt material that all Gravekeeper's were adorned with. (Gravekeeper's Assailant 2000/2000)

"I see." Daiki's eyes dropped to the cards he now held in his hand. Sighing slightly he looked back up. "I think I will end my turn there. Good move Kiro." An odd smile creasing across his thin lips.

"Draw." Kiro flicked the top card off his deck and smiled at what he saw. Adding it to his hand, he had something else planned. "I activate Book of Moon on my own Gravekeeper's Spy, this flips it so its once again set on my field." Kiro smirked as his defending monster faded away, leaving a brown backed card in its place. "Now I will just flip it into attack mode, and get its power to bring my Gravekeeper's Cannonholder (1400/1200)(1900/1700)."

Another Egyptian warrior appeared on Kiro's field, this one brandishing a large red wood cannon on its right shoulder. Taking careful aim, the monster prepared to do battle against the two warriors that stood opposing him.

"As impressive as your arsenal is, my monsters still trump yours in attack strength." Daiki motioned to his two knight monsters. "So you must have something else planned, am I right?"

"You don't know how right you are asshole." Kiro snapped back, irratated that Daiki questioned him. Pulling a card out of his hand he held up his duel disk so the field slot slid open. "Time to show you, I play the field magic card Djeser-Djeseru!"

Behind Kiro, the walls of his valley began to explode and crumble as a large, stone temple rose out of the ground. The three story high structure was dark past its circular pillars on all the floors. Ghostly mist flowed from the holes, creating even more fog in the valley around them.

"When I have Necrovalley on my field I can replace it with this card." Kiro began, motioning his right hand upward, drawing Daiki's eyes to the stone temple. "The basic functions are the exact same. My monster keep their power boost, and the graveyard is off limits." Pointing to his three monsters, Kiro smirked bearing his fangs. "It's name is treated though as if it were Necrovalley. So my effects still work with it."

"I see." Daiki scratched his chin with his right hand. "So you've replaced your valley with a card that does the exact same thing. But that would be seemingly pointless, your new card must come with some other ability that makes it special." Daiki smiled at his problem solving, letting his right arm drop to his side once he saw Kiro nodding to agree.

"You'll see that much right now. Gravekeeper's Assailant, attack his Masaki! Assassins Blade!" Nodding, Kiro's robbed assault monster jumped high into the air, wielding the wavy blade in its hand back across its body. "Djeser-Djeseru gives my monster 500 attack points when it battles with something of a higher attack than it." Kiro clenched his fist, happy with his power ful monster slashing through the green armored warrior (2500/2000).

Kiro-4800 LP  
Daiki-4000 LP

"And you see, without one of your warriors, your Command Knight becomes vastly weaker." Kiro smirked, pointing at the monster. "Go Gravekeeper's Spy, attack!" (Command Knight 1800/1900)

Charging up a ball of navy blue energy, coursing with white Egyptian ruins, the spy monster launched the beam forward towards the royal knight. Roaring, Gravekeeper's Spy began to flow with a unmistakable yellow aura, the same aura that was flowing around the outside perimeter of the stone temple (2200/2500). The beam grew in size, washing completely over the knight monster and vaporizing it without a fight at all.

Kiro-4800 LP  
Daiki-3600 LP

Frowning, Daiki slid his monster into his graveyard slot on his shield designed duel disk. Looking up, he saw Kiro grinning from ear to ear, bearing his rough, pointed white fangs.

"Oh Gravekeeper's Cannonholder, blast him now!" He cried, his monster with the redwood cannon taking aim. "Show him the true extent of my power!" He roared, the cannon going off with a loud bang. Ripping through the air, the ball of white and yellow energy raced towards Daiki, smashing into him at breakneck speeds.

An eruption of smoke and flames followed, throwing the tester high into the air. He crashed down on the rough, rocky ground and slid for a good ways before he came to a complete stop.

Kiro-4800 LP  
Daiki-1700 LP

"_What!"_ Kiro's eyes widened as he saw Daiki slowly pulling himself to his feet.

_("What's the matter, Kiro?")_ Hebanu questioned from his soul room. _("You just blasted him to smithereens, why aren't you happy.")_

_("It is because he did blast him.")_ Kooru said, walking up to Hebanu and placing his hand on the sky blue haired demon. _("No tester has ever fallen that easy before to such a devastating attack.")_

"_Exactly."_ Kiro growled, anger building inside him. He clenched his fist in frustration. _"And I was expecting him to counter with his face down card, but he didn't do it to any of my attacks. How in the hell did he get to be the eighth tester?"_

"Well, that was an impressive stunt." Daiki's noble voice rang through the night as he walked back to his dueling spot. Bending down, Daiki picked up the two card hand that he had dropped when the blast sent him flying. "I'll give credit for the grand power you pulled on me."

"Shut up." Kiro growled, daggers shot out in his voice. "Why in the hell did you let me blast you like that. What kind of game are you playing."

Chuckling, Daiki averted his attention from Kiro. "I'm testing your abilities, and seeing if your body is able to sustain releasing the three spirits from it. So if you would kindly end your turn, I'll show you that I'm not letting you walk on me, but rather letting you fall into my trap."

"Whatever." Kiro said, releasing the turn to Daiki.

"Thank you." Daiki bowed as he spoke before holding the duel disk up so he could place his hand on the top card. "Draw!" He announced as he did it, adding the card to his hand he pointed to the face down card that still rested on his field. "I will be using this to destroy everything you still have, but first," pulling a card from his hand he slapped it down on his sword like dueling plate. "I summon out my Gearfried the Iron Knight (1800/1600)!"

A monster clad in solid black armor appeared before Daiki. A razor sharp, silver blade was attached to his right arm and a small, black shield to his left. Slashing the blade through the air, the monster cried out with its appearance, taking a battle stance. The power of Daiki's magic card flowing through him (2000/1600).

"A warrior who can't be equipped with anything." Kiro's monotone voice showed how unimpressed he was with the new monster. "So you've summoned up a beat stick monster, what good is that really going to do you against my three powerful monsters?"

"Oh, Gearfried the Iron Knight won't be doing a single thing against you." Daiki reassured Kiro, holding up another card from his hand. "No, not while he is incased in that suit of iron he is in. I need to set him free first. Magic card go!" Flipping the card over, it began to glow right there in Daiki's hand. "Release Restraint!"

Roaring with intense might, the black clad warrior began to flail about the field. His suit of armor beginning to crack and break apart. Beams of light shot from these breaks, blanketing the entire dueling field in a white veil.

When the light vanished, a large, muscular warrior appeared. His wild hair blew back in an invisible wind he was generating, and a stern frown was plastered on his rock hard jaw. Clenching his fists, he pulled them back into his side to take a battle pose. The light of the magic card behind him made a yellow aura form around his body for a split second (2600/2200)(2800/2200).

"I call forth; Gearfried the Swordmaster!" Daiki roared, whipping his right hand so it was high in the air, his monster roaring out a battle cry at its announcement. Letting his hand fall again, Daiki smiled at his new monster. "Alright, let me tell you how Gearfried the Swordmaster works. You see, every time he is equipped with an equipment magic card he can easily destroy one monster on the opponents side of the field."

"I see. So now your going to equip him with something?" Kiro questioned, looking at the last card in Daiki's hand.

"Not with this card, it isn't even an equipment card." Daiki shook his head. "No, my equipment card is already in the graveyard. You see, Divine Sword - Phoenix Blade can be brought back to my hand by me removing two warriors from my graveyard from the game."

At this, Kiro smirked darkly. A evil tint arrived in his eye. "Well, I just love to disappoint you, because my field card prevents you from removing cards from the graveyard from the game. It looks like you master plan is foiled right here."

"Your doing far to much assuming." Daiki pointed again to that set card that rested on his field. "Did you already forget I said this card would do everything I needed it to. Open set card!" Snapping his arm down so it was pointing to the card, the activation of the card started. Flipping up, it began to glow in a radiant light. "Earth Breaking Area is a trap card that works like this."

Taking the last card in his hand, Daiki slid it into his graveyard slot on the shield like duel disk. The trap card began to react to this, sending shock waves bursting across the field.

"By discarding one card from my hand, Earth Breaking Area basically negates the effects of a field magic card for one whole turn. Make it like there is absolutely nothing in that slot." Daiki smiled as the walls of the valley that incased them vanished into thin air, leaving the two duelists standing in the construction zone. Returning his gaze to Kiro, he lifted his duel disk. "And now I can safely remove my two warriors; Marauding Captain and Masaki the Legendary Swordsman to return my equipment to my hand!"

Three cards were ejected from the slot that represented the graveyard, pulling them up he fanned them out. The two said monsters and the Divine Sword - Phoenix Blade were indeed present. With a big grin, Daiki inserted the green bordered card into his duel disk.

Kiro watched in horror as the golden handled sword appeared in the grips of the large shirtless warrior. Slashing it through the air, the monster caused a whistling noise to echo through the night.

"I equip my Swordmaster with Divine Sword - Phoenix Blade! Thus boosting his power (3100/2200)" Daiki pointed to Kiro's Gravekeeper's Assailant as he spoke. "And using its effect, I'm going to take out your most powerful monster off the field."

Kiro's eyes shifted to his Assailant. Within seconds of Gearfried being equipped with the new weapon, the black robed monster faded away into the night, leaving no trace of it anywhere.

"And now, Gearfried the Swordmaster attack Gravekeeper's Spy! Wield the Phoenix Blade to its fullest power!" Daiki cried out into the night, his great warrior rushing forward toward the information gathering Gravekeeper. Wielding the blade back, the monster brought it down across the monsters body. Flames trailed off the end of the blade as it hacked through the body of the defending gravekeeper.

"_Dammit, with my field card negated my monster doesn't even get the power boost."_ Kiro realized as his monster exploded, sending waves of heat rushing across his skin. Flames licked up at his solid red eyes, but even so, Kiro didn't blink or flinch.

Kiro-2900 LP  
Daiki-1700 LP

"Alright Kiro, my turn has ended." Daiki called out. The smoke from the attack clearing, the grand swordmaster landed on Daiki's field, whipping the sword down to his side. Kiro stood glaring bloody murder at the naked monster.

"Draw!" He yelled, snapping the top card off his deck. The large stone walls of his Necrovalley and the grand stone temple that rested behind him reappeared at the start of his move. Slapping it face-down on his duel disk he cried out his move. "I set one monster face-down and switch my Gravekeeper's Cannonholder to defense (1900/1700)." Kiro's cannon wielding monster crouched down on its knees next to a face-down card that appeared in a surge of light. "I end."

"Alright, my move. Draw!" Daiki snapped the top card off the top of his deck and gazed at its face. A odd smile creased across his face. "Well what do you know. My luck has handed me a new weapon for my warrior to use. Magic card go! Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!"

Sliding the card into the sword looking duel plate, the magic card appeared behind the Gearfried. Holding out its left hand, a long, slim silver blade appeared in it. A ghostly orange aura flowed off the sides of it (3900/2200).

"With a new weapon, I trigger Gearfried ability!" Daiki announced, the cannon bearing Gravekeeper fading off the field without either player saying a word. Daiki smirked. "Now with your monster gone, Gearfried attack his last defender and rid the field of it!"

Crossing the two blade, Gearfried the Swordmaster roared out a battle cry. A stream of flames covered in the ghostly orange aura shot from the cross section of the swords. Smashing into the brown backed card, the flames consumed it within seconds. A small black cat screamed out before it exploded.

"Cat of Ill Omen (500/300) lets me pull a trap card from my deck, and because Djeser-Djeseru counts as Necrovalley, I get to pull that trap to my hand instead of the top of my deck." Kiro explained, fanning out his deck. Taking one card from it he added it to the cards already in his hand. Shuffling the deck a few times he slid it back into the duel disk. Placing his fingers on the top card he smirked. "My turn, draw!"

Taking two of the cards in his hand he slid them into his duel disk of light. Smiling, he showed off his pearl white fang from his up turned lip. The two cards appeared before him in a rush of yellow and while light.

"I set two cards on my field and that is my turn." He whipped his arm to the side, his three set cards before him the only defense he had against Daiki and his naked Gearfried monster.

"Then its my turn, draw!" He yelled out, snapping the top card off his deck.

"Then I will open my two set cards!" Kiro yelled, two of his face down cards flipping up right. "I play Rite of Spirit! Then I activate a second one to go along with it. This lets me bring back my Gravekeeper Kiro and my Gravekeeper's Assailant in attack mode!"

Appearing on the field in a rush of light from the two identical trap cards, the shirtless form of Kiro's old human self appeared (2300/1600) and the black robed monster wielding a deadly wavy dagger (2000/2000).

"_So he holds three Rite of Spirits in his deck, impressive idea for saving him like that."_ Daiki observed, adding the card he drew to his hand. _"And makes use of them as his field card prevents anyone else from reviving from the graveyard. He taps into a power that he only has the right to."_ Scratching his chin, Daiki smirked at the move. "Alright Kiro Rinku, if that is the way you want this to go down, so be it. Gearfried the Swordmaster, attack Gravekeeper Kiro now!"

With his stoic expression still across his rock hard face, Gearfried took off charging at the tan Egyptian warrior. Wielding back both of its blades, it prepared to slice it through.

"Open trap card!" Kiro yelled out, snapping his hand down towards the last set card on his field. "This is called Covering Fire and here is how it works; because you attacked my Gravekeeper Kiro, I am allowed to boost his power by the other face up monster on my field!" The said trap card began to glow, sending rays of light out at the black robed assassin.

Letting out an echoing cry of battle, the Gravekeeper's Assailant seeped in the rays of energy being thrown at it by the up righted trap card. Whipping up it arm it showed it long, wavy dagger to be absorbing all of the aura that was floating around its body. A flicking of its wrist and the Gravekeeper's Assailant tossed its dagger to its ally.

Grabbing the weapon out of thin air, Gravekeeper Kiro took up a battle pose against the charging opponent. Wielding back the dagger, he put all of his muscle strength in thrusting it forward.

The sound of cold, hard metal clashing on cold, hard metal rang through the abysmal valley. A loud cracking soon fallowed as the small wavy dagger coursing in a navy blue aura now began to slice through the dual swords that were resting against it forcefully.

The blades gave way as the dagger pierced right through them and then stuck deep in the muscular torso of the swordmaster. Gravekeeper Kiro (4300/1600) smirked darkly as it proceeded to chop the monster in half, causing it to explode in a rush of heat and energy.

Kiro-2900 LP  
Daiki-1300 LP

Daiki crossed his arms across his chest as the massive blast of flames and heat began to push him back. He dug in his feet as he slid across the ground, kicking up mass amounts of dirt and dust in doing so. Finally able to come to a complete stop, Daiki looked up with an awkward smile plastered across his face.

"Now that was an impressive counter tactic." He stated as he began to walk back up to his spot where he was standing before his monster bit the dust. Taking the last card from his hand he slapped it down on his duel disk. "I set one monster face down on my field and this ends my turn."

"Then its my turn." Kiro smirked, knowing he had the upper hand now, he pulled the top card off his deck and glanced at its face. "I sacrifice Gravekeeper Kiro in order to call forth Secret Spirit Guard - Hebanu (2400/1800)!" Picking up the orange bordered card and slapping a new one down in its place.

On the field, the card representation of Kiro began to slowly change. It grew a bit boarder shouldered and it green hair slowly rippled changing into a sky blue color. A lovely white robe with a three orb design appeared over the tan body of the Egyptian-esque warrior.

"I get to discard these two cards from my hand." Kiro smirked, sliding the two cards that were left in his hand into his graveyard. Whipping out his arm afterwards, he pointed to Daiki's field with his ridged black index finger. "Since I discarded twice, I return two things on the field to the owners hand. Your Allied Forces and set defender and gone."

Smirking, Daiki picked up the two cards but held out the monster to Kiro. "Guess what." He began, flipping the card around so he could see it. "This monster is known as Warrior Returning from the Battlefront (1100/1100). When this card is taken off the field by a monster effect, it removes everything on the field back to the owners hands."

Wide eyed, Kiro watched as his two monsters faded off the field along with the large stone walls of his field card. The field now was completely empty, nothing was on it and it was still Kiro's turn.

Glaring down at the three cards in his hand he sighed. _"I have already summoned a monster this turn, and my magic card; Djeser-Djeseru can only be played by sacrificing a Necrovalley first."_ Looking up, Kiro hid his weakness in his defiant smirk. "I end my turn."

"Now we know what is in each others hand, but you don't know what this card I am going to draw is." Daiki placed his finger tips on the top card in his duel disk. "This test is still on and I hope you realize that things aren't so easy."

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And the battle continues. Reviews are always welcome, and thanks for reading. Have a nice day!  
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	38. Don’t Fear the Reaper

Chapter 38: Don't Fear the Reaper

"This test is still on, and its my draw." Daiki slid the top card off his deck and whipped it around his body. "Time to see if you have what it takes to make a comeback after this." Taking a hold of all three of the cards in his hand he slapped them down on his duel disk. "First I summon back my Warrior Returning from the Battlefront (1100/1100) in attack mode."

Before Daiki appeared a small, thin warrior in dark purple armor. In its hand it held a thin, flimsy sword that looked scratched and cracked. The head of the man inside the three pointed helmet looked fatigued and worn out, but a fire of battle still burned in its eyes.

"I replay my magic card; Allied Forces, thus granting my Warrior Returning from the Battlefront an additional 200 attack points (1300/1100). But the other card I play this turn is called Axe of Despair and it shall increase my monsters attack by 1000 points (2300/1100)!"

Slipping the sword into a sheath at it side, the warrior held out its empty right hand. In it, a flash of lightning struck outward before a brown handled axe appeared. Whipping it down through the air, the purple armored warrior took a leap into the black night sky.

"Attack directly my warrior!" Daiki cried out as his monster came down on Kiro.

The Axe never actually made contact with Kiro as the monster had terrible aim, but the shock wave from the blade flying inches from him made him slid backwards on the dirt ground.

Kiro-600 LP  
Daiki-1300 LP

Springing back from landing on the ground, the small warrior monster jumped back across the gap and landed on Daiki's field. Snapping the axe down across its body, the monster took a battle pose to wait until the next fight. It gave a slight chuckled at its accomplishment, a look as if it had never done anything like that before.

"Its your move now Kiro Rinku." Daiki smiled, lowering his arms. The shield like duel disk with the sword dueling field resting on his arm at his side.

"Then I will make my move." Kiro growled, placing his rough black finger tips on the top card of his deck. Stopping he took a second to think. _"I am holding Secret Spirit Guard - Hebanu, Gravekeeper's Assailant, and Djeser-Djeseru. Two of which are now worthless and one is too weak to overpower that thing."_ Slowly pulling the card so it was resting centimeters over the edge of the deck, Kiro put his back pointed tip thumb on the bottom of the card.

"_He is trying to think of a card that can bring him out of this mess."_ Daiki observed, watching as Kiro's eye lids closed down over his solid red eyes.

"Draw!" Kiro's eyes snapped open as he whipped the top card through the air and past his face. "Magic card go! Card of Demise lets me draw until I am holding five cards!" Kiro yelled, slamming the drawn card into his duel disk. With that, he quickly pulled two more cards from his deck and flipped them over, happy when he saw them. "Perfect." He exclaimed, grabbing one of the cards in his hand and slapping it down on the duel disk.

"You have a strategy to bring me down?" Daiki inquired, watching as the black robed assassin appeared again on Kiro's field. Wielding back its wavy dagger, the Gravekeeper's Assailing prepared to strike, showing it was in attack mode.

"Of course I do, first I summon my Gravekeeper's Assailant (1500/1500)." Kiro pointed to his newly summoned monster with his right hand, that still held the two newly drawn cards. Next, Kiro moved and slid them both into their own magic/trap zone on his duel plate of light. "I first activate my magic card; Gravekeeper's Muscle Burst. This will double the attack points of my Gravekeeper."

Kiro smirked, holding up the two remaining cards in his hand. Sliding them into his graveyard the other card he had placed in his duel disk activated on his field right next to the Gravekeeper's Muscle Burst card.

"I chain my Muscle Burst with my Serial Spell card. Since I discarded my hand, my Serial Spell will copy the effect of my Muscle Burst card and double the attack of my Gravekeeper's Assailant."

Both of Kiro's holograms began to glow as they activated, sending rays of white light floating into the Gravekeeper. Holding up her dagger, the monster began to moan as its body became more buffed out. The rippling muscles could be seen even under all the black fabric (3000/1500)(6000/1500).

"Six thousand attack points." Daiki whistled at the impressive stats of the monster. Knowing full well this was the last move of the duel, he bowed his head and let a smile crease across his face. "Well, he could do it. He must be the one."

"Assailant attack!" Kiro bellowed, whipping his arm towards the skinny little warrior. Rushing across the field, the assassin slid the dagger swiftly through the air and pierced right through the breast plate of the monster. It howled before it exploded into tiny data fragments.

Kiro-600 LP  
Daiki-0 LP

Grabbing the cards out of mid-air as his dueling plate vanished, Kiro began to walk across the dirt lot to where Daiki stood with is head bowed. Stopping a good distance away from him, Kiro looked at the top of Daiki's yellowish hair.

Slowly lifting his head, Daiki revealed he was wearing a warm and joyful smile. This made Kiro bear his fangs in anger. Why in the hell was he so happy he just lost? Badly to add on top of that. But Kiro knew he was wrong, Daiki had put up quite a fight and even though it was an odd feeling, Kiro knew he had learned the lesson early on about what Daiki was trying to teach him.

"Well Kiro Rinku, I would say you passed this test with flying colors." Daiki's eyes continued to drift up into the dark night sky. The sea green coloring that blanketed the moon was vanishing slowly. "Bright Pink."

"Bright pink?" Kiro cocked an eyebrow at Daiki who was still staring off into the abyss of space.

"Your next test shall be that of the Bright Pink Moon." Daiki lowered his head, locking his eyes with that of Kiro's "Best of luck my friend."

Kiro watched as Daiki's body slowly began to drift upwards, his body becoming a rag doll as gravity gave way and let loose of him with its tight fisted grip. Higher and higher he want, the limp body not even putting up a fight as it slowly began to pick up speed, hurdling towards the black infinity of space. Soon becoming nothing more than a spec in the distance, vanishing as his body left Earth for parts unknown.

Kaira, Deo and Chao ran up to their friend, all four of them staring up at the spot where Daiki's body has been seen drifting slowly upwards. All four of them lowered their head and stared at one another for a long while.

"I was beginning to wonder how the loser was going to lose his life." Kiro said, looking back up to the night sky with his solid red iris's. "There was no fancy set up of deadly things that would kill us when we lost, just seemed like an ordinary duel.

"Maybe he was trying to make it seem like the pressure is off so you wouldn't be so tense." Kaira theorized to the group.

"Or he was just to dumb to think of anything that would seem threatening so he had the loser float away." Chao chortled at his own joke.

"Probably the latter of the two." Kiro smirked, taking a few steps leading towards the gate of the construction yard. "Either way, that waste of time is over. I have to look forward to tomorrow night and the night after. Then I will be free of these curses and I can get on with my life."

_("Kiro...") _Kooru began to protest his last statement, crossing his arms across his chest. Sighing though, he let his arms slid down to his side as he stood in the mental chamber. _("You know what, just forget it. Once this is done, we will be free from you as well.")_

Running out of the construction zone, the three humans caught up to their demon friend and walked silently behind him for a good ways. Finally, Kaira broke the silence.

"So what now? Do we find a place and sleep for the night?"

"You can if you want." Kiro growled, glaring back over his shoulder. "I'm going home." And with that, Kiro turned down a street that led to his mountain side home. The mountain towered in the distance, standing as a symbol in the middle of the sea of buildings.

"Your sure your up to it?" Chao questioned, looking at the green haired kid. "All the other times, you've been completely wiped out from the trial."

"I guess I'm not this time." Kiro growled again, angry with the interrogation he was getting. "My newly acquired demonic powers must give me more strength than normal. I didn't feel even half of those attacks in that duel, and I know that if I was still fully human, I would be in much pain right now."

Clenching his fist, Kiro thought about how true his last statement really was. He continued to walk into the distance with his three human friends following close behind.

* * *

Kiro slumped back into a old chair in a golden stone room. Kaira flopped down on an old mattress on a black iron frame in the corner. Against the wall of the room by the bed where Kaira was laying, Chao and Deo curled up.

"I said I was coming home...why didn't you go to your own homes?" Kiro growled, crossing his arms across his chest. Looking at the three kids staring at him. "Always got to be an inconvenience don't you?"

"Well," Chao started to respond, looking at Deo and Kaira before directing his attention back to Kiro, "thanks to your trials, Kaira doesn't have a home to go home to, and Deo never had one to begin with."

"Besides, you said since it was your fault you would let me stay here for a while." Kaira protested, adding to Chao's argument.

"Ah...you have a point Chao." Kiro growled, but admitted his own defeat. Glaring at the silver haired boy with his red iris, a small smile did start to curl up on his lip. "So then why are you here?"

Chao looked stuck, he hadn't expected that kind of question from Kiro. Fumbling with what to say, he found his tongue tied.

"Cause we are a team, and we stick together no matter what." Kaira defiantly stated, saving Chao's rear.

"Team..." Kiro scoffed at the word. Adjusting in his chair so his back was to them he quickly growled. "Alright, shut up humans, its time for bed." And with that, the four of them shut up and closed their eyes, letting sleep slowly wash over their exhausted bodies. Within minutes, all four of them were out like a light.

* * *

Kiro's eyes slowly peeled open. The first thing he noticed was a vast blanket of black, starless sky stretching as far as his eyes could see. The ground was invisible, hidden beneath the thick layer of ghostly white fog. Clenching his fist, Kiro rotated his head slightly from left to right to see the exact same sight.

"Where the hell are we?" A familiar gruff voice asked.

"I don't know, Heruru." Kiro growled, still staring off into the black abyss of the horizon. Then his eyes widened. That voice hadn't come from inside his mind like he was used to, Heruru's voice sounded as if it were behind him. Slowly, Kiro turned his head to see three figures standing awestruck.

They looked like Kiro, though much bigger and more built out. The three demons who had been locked in Kiro's mind all of his life stood there before him in their own bodies. Kiro's eyes drifted up and down all three of them, while they did the same thing to each other. No one could quite explain what was going on.

"What happened?" Hebanu finally asked, drawing his silver haired companions attention to him.

"As far as I can tell, this isn't the real world but rather some kind of dream state." Kooru replied, rotating his body around to look out in all four directions. The same ghostly fog enveloped the area as far as his stone gray eyes could see. The darkness of the sky seemed to grow thicker, making it seem like the fog was glowing.

"You mean we are all having the same dream?" Kiro and Heruru growled out at the same time. Both disappointed that this world wasn't real.

"Something like that." Kooru agreed, nodding slightly. Brining his attention back to the small group, he seemed to be thinking of something. "Though we have never shared a dream before. This is a new experience to us all. I wonder why now."

"So you all can be together when you die in your sleep..." A ghastly voice echoed across the area, making all four of them tense up.

"Who is there!" Heruru yelled, clenching his fist together. He, Kiro, Hebanu and Kooru stood back to back so they could see out all four ways. No sneak attacks were going to get to them.

"Death. Destruction. Hate. Discontent." The voice echoed, the words he spoke were in such a dark and dreadful tone that it even make the four demons shake. Goose bumps forming on their arms. "Your lives are worthless, and you deserve what you are about to get."

"Come out and face us you ass hole!" Heruru barked, screaming it out into the abysmal darkness. "Get out here so I can kick your ass! You coward!"

"Coward? You dare call me a coward?" And with that, the owner of the voice materialized from a ripple in the air. A floating monster in a black robe appeared, wielding a scythe on a long wooden handle. Its eyes and mouth were marked by glowing, light blue ovals.

"I've seen you before. It's the Reaper of the Cards." Kiro growled as he and the other two demons flipped around to the sides of Heruru. The Reaper floated in the air before the four of them, moving his scythe slowly through the air.

"Where have you seen him before?" Hebanu questioned, though not taking his yellow eyes off the grim reaper monster. "I don't recall you every coming face to face with this monster before like this."

"It was in that one dream I had a while back." Kiro replied, his solid red iris's also not leaving the hovering monster. "Right after I beat Andron." Clenching his fist even tighter, Kiro began to smirk darkly. "Though back then I was afraid of you, this time I can rip you to shreds." He said, speaking to the Reaper.

"You don't scare me at all." The reaper, wielding back his scythe over its hooded head, spoke in his dark, hateful voice. "You stand no chance of beating my in this world, no matter your newly acquired demonic powers."

"_How does he know so much about me?"_ Kiro began to wonder, slowly sliding forward on the smooth ground below the white fog. "Either way, I am going to take you down!" He bellowed out, moving forward in a blur to the naked eye.

Moving casually, the Reaper whipped its scythe down and horizontal across its body. A loud crack of wood could be heard as the next sight was Kiro's black claws wrapped around the staff. Kiro was in shock that his attack was blocked so easily, he didn't even have time to react when the Reaper of the Cards pushed the staff outwards and knocking Kiro to the fog covered floor.

"What the?" Kiro looked up in shock that his attack didn't follow through as he had planned. His eyes widened when he saw the Reaper prepare to bring the scythe down on him. He quickly began to roll to the side, the metal tip of the blade crashing into the ground right next to him.

The ear piercing screech echoed through the darkness. Kooru, Hebanu and Heruru began to charge across the area with their inhuman speed. Soon, all three of them were bearing down on the robed monster, shoving their fists into the monsters head and causing it to float backwards a good distance.

"Kiro, you alright?" Hebanu questioned as he and the other two demons landed on the ground in a perfect line. Kiro shook his head as he jumped back up to his feet.

"Of course I'm fine." He growled, bringing his head back to the robed monster. "He's going to be the one who is going to be in trouble in a minute."

"You're the one who over interpreted his demonic skills." Heruru growled as Kiro came to stand next to the black haired demon. "Anyone could have seen that attack of yours coming from a mile away." Reaching out, he grabbed Kiro's shirt collar and twisted it until Kiro was face to face with him. "Think before you act again or you're going to get your ass killed."

"Oh, and like thinking is your strong point!" Kiro snapped back, swinging his arm up to knocked Heruru's away. Just as it barely made contact, it was ripped away and pinned to Kiro's side by Heruru's other hand.

"Shut up you!" Heruru snarled back. "Your reckless and stupid, trying to show off what power you think you have. You are so weak! If you were under Kooru's leadership like we were, you would have gotten seriously beaten to death for something that stupid!"

"What are you babbling about?" Kiro complained, wriggling around to get free from Heruru's relentless grip.

"Its true." Kooru flexed his fist as he spoke to Kiro, though his eyes never left the robed monster that hovered in front of them. "After one beating from a stunt like what you just pulled, Heruru never recklessly ran in again. Not only that, but I was sure to focus my punishment on the battle wounds he got from the attack he recklessly ran into."

"What are you talking about?" Kiro's head drifted from the silver haired demon back to the black haired one who was glaring daggers at him still.

"Hebanu and Heruru were under my command." Kooru simply stated, getting rather annoyed at the idiocy Kiro was showing. "In a battle once, Heruru was stupid enough to blow our cover by rushing into a fight to quickly, thinking he was powerful enough to handle it." Out of the corner, Kooru watched as Kiro's head became focused on him. "That attack nearly killed him as it was, luckily, we still came out the winners. Afterwards, Heruru paid the price for his stupid move."

"It sounds like you guys were in some kind of demon army." Kiro figured, finally feeling Heruru's grip on his arm loosening.

"In a way, we kind of were and army of three." Hebanu confirmed, also unwavering from the Reaper of the Cards. "And even I can say, if you try something that stupid again, I'll beat your ass in."

"Hebanu..." Kiro was in a bit of shock, he had never seen or felt Hebanu that mad before. The kind and gentlest of all the demons in his body had never come across as having a very mean bone in his body. Kiro had suddenly gained a new respect for the sky blue haired man standing on the other side of Kooru.

"Did you all forget I am here?" The reaper asked, making Kiro crank his head to the side so he could see the robed monster. The other three demons hadn't taken their eyes off the monster. "I want to take what I rightfully deserve. Now all of you die!" And with that, the grim reaper monster burst forward across the area.

"Don't think so." Heruru smirked, whipping his arm outwards. A stunned Kiro went flying through the air and crashed into the charging monster, knocking both of them to the fog covered floor.

Stunned, the Reaper of the Cards lifted its head up from its place on the floor only to find itself begging pulled away by the back of its cloak. Cranking its ghostly head, it saw that Kooru had it in his iron grip. The two other demons running on either side of him.

Digging in their feet, Kooru, Hebanu and Heruru came to a sudden stop. Whipping his arm around his body, Kooru threw the monster past him and out farther in the abysmal area. Crashing against the ground several times, the monster disappeared in the violent cloud of fog that was kicked up.

"Well that was fairly easy." Hebanu stated, brushing off his cloths. "The way he sounded, I thought he would put up a lot more of a fight."

"True. But still." Kooru stated, turning his head to his raven black partner. "What have I told you countless times. Your allies are there on your side. No one gets left behind, and I think that was one of the stupider things you've ever done. Kiro could have been killed."

"Your point?" Heruru cocked an eyebrow at the demon. "If you recall, we are no more than parasites to him. And of course, parasites use their hosts to the fullest potential. In this case, dead weight was the best choice."

"Dead weight, huh?" Kiro growled as he slowly made his way up to the group of demons. He was rubbing his head with his hand, his rough black fingers getting a bit tangled up in his green hair. "Remember that, you'll regret it one day."

"I'm not scared of you." Heruru laughed at Kiro's attempt to scare him.

"No, but you should be scared of me." The four of them jerked their heads forward and the same voice came out of the mound of fog. Rising up slowly, the reaper had its head and arms limp, hanging down as it hovered upwards. "If you really thought an attack that weak could defeat me in my own domain, than you are all sadly mistaken." With that, his head snapped up, showing the once blue ovals in his head to be blood red. "You cannot beat me!" Whipping up its arm, he slashed its scythe through the air sending a shockwave blasting out towards the four opponents.

None of them had time to react before the blast sent them all hurdling backwards. Loud thumps could be heard as the bodies hit the hard floor, kicking up mass amounts of the fog. The air in the area became thick with the ghostly white cloud, making visibility very low.

Growling, Hebanu opened his eyes to see the monster hovering next to him with his scythe pulled back to strike. With in seconds, the metal tip of the blade clanked into the hard floor, barely missing Hebanu who had begun to roll out of the way.

"He's fast!" Hebanu yelled, announcing to the others the speed of this beast. "And deadly, watch out guys." Though his words were in motion with his quick rolling to put distance between him and the reaper monster that had its scythe pulled back up.

"_Why is he after us?"_ Kooru began to ponder as he quickly sprung back to his feet. Seeing the Kiro and Heruru were already up, he began to look around for the sky blue haired demon. Not seeing him, he assumed that he was down on the ground covered by the fog. The reaper was hovering with its scythe pulled back over its hooded head.

Before any of them could move, the reaper was sent hurdling backwards by a golden flash of light. Whizzing past the three of them, the hooded monster crashed to the foggy ground and rolled a good distance away.

"Hebanu?" Heruru puzzled looking shifted from the towering cloud of smoke to where the monster once floated. Popping his head out of the cloud on the ground, Hebanu looked around slightly confused.

"What happened?" He asked, quickly jumping to his feet. "Did one of you..."

"No, it wasn't us." Kooru shook his head, his silver hair flopping back and forth with each motion. "I have no clue what that was."

Hebanu quickly joined his companions, the four of them watching were they believe the reaper should by lying on the ground. Kooru quickly cranked his head to look off behind him to see if he could find any other kind of life form. Anything that could have just attacked the reaper.

"Cheap shooooot." A very angry, echoing voice rose with the quick ascension of the grim reaper. His head snapped up and he glared past the four demons into the blackness of the horizon beyond. "How dare you interfere with my hunt. Who do you think you are?" It growled, to nobody it seemed.

"I dare, because no one lays a hand, claw, or sharp metal object on any of my loyal partners." A noble, deep voice echoed across the area. Appearing out of the fog as if a ghost, a tan man wielding a golden, snake headed staff appeared. His white and black robes blowing back in a dramatic wind that had picked up in the world of darkness.

"Gravekeeper's Chief?" The four demons were shocked to see the monster standing on the opposite side of them from where the reaper floated.

"I don't care." The long wooden scythe in the reapers hands was lifted so it was pointed directly at the new opponent, the blade curving down towards the ground. "I will kill you none-the-less!" And with that, a pulse wave burst off the end of the scythe cleaning the gap between them within seconds.

"I don't think so." The Chief of the Gravekeeper's smirked, holding up the golden staff he held just in time. The blast crashed into an invisible barrier, simmering in gold from the sudden disturbance. "My turn, counter attack!" He yelled, snapping his staff down so it was pointed at the Reaper of the Cards. Like the scythe had just done, the staff sent out a pulse wave of gold that traced back the same path as the previous attack.

Being caught off guard, the blast that crashed into the robed monster caused him to go flying backwards with a raging tail of smoke that billowed off. Bone crunching echoed through the world of darkness as the monster bounced along the floor like a rag doll. The fog was parted where its limp body soared through.

The scythe, which had been blasted out of his hands, twirled in mid air for a second before crashing to the ground. The blade stuck into the earth, leaving the wooden handle exposed above the fog at a odd angle.

Kiro, Kooru, Heruru, and Hebanu's heads all snapped towards the Gravekeeper's Chief. They had moved slightly from the attacks that had just passed between them. The four of them were speechless as the watched the monster lower his staff to his side. A smile creased across his face as he looked at the four of them. His eyes locking on the green haired demon, he gave a cheerful giggle.

"It has been a while Gravekeeper Kiro." He said, slowly walking towards them. "I see you've changed quite a bit since the last time you were here."

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A little action of a different sort. Wonder what will happen next? Just got to hold on and see when I update next. Do tell me what you think, I am happy to get any review at all. Till the next time, have a nice day!  
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	39. Next to Nothing

Chapter 39: Next to Nothing

Kiro, Kooru, Heruru, and Hebanu's heads all snapped towards the Gravekeeper's Chief. They had moved slightly from the attacks that had just passed between them. The four of them were speechless as the watched the monster lower his staff to his side. A smile creased across his face as he looked at the four of them. His eyes locking on the green haired demon, he gave a cheerful giggle.

"It has been a while Gravekeeper Kiro." He said, slowly walking towards them. "I see you've changed quite a bit since the last time you were here."

"Yeah, I guess it has been." Kiro agreed, nodding his head. "I guess I had forgotten that I was here once before." He said, taking in the surrounding one last time before the monster reached the four of them. Being a bit cautious, Heruru and Hebanu took into a defensive stance, just in case the monster dare attack them.

"Twice before actually. The first time you met the reaper, the second time was when we needed to have a heart to heart talk." He corrected Kiro, not seeming to threaten him with his words. Noticing the stances the two demon brothers had taken, he waved his free hand. "No need to be afraid friends. I mean you no harm."

"We'd rather not take the chance." Heruru growled, angered that the monster just asked him to drop his guard. "No offense, but I can't trust you any more than I could trust the last monster we met here."

"Heruru, enough!" Kooru snapped, reaching out and grabbing the demon by his raven black hair. Pulling it, the demon's head arched back until his body relaxed and his hair was let free. His brother also relaxed his body at the sight of this. "Think about it for a second. We've known Kiro use, rely on and trust this monster. Plus he has just destroyed the one that from the start tried to kill us." His gray eyes taking a second to shift towards the robed monster. "Plus, he caught us all off guard. If he wanted to kill us, he could have done it without us ever knowing it was coming."

"He has a point." The Gravekeeper's Chief nodded, but sighed. "Though I don't blame him for not trusting me. This world is a harsh place to live in, and trusting the wrong beast would get you killed fast."

"Alright." Kiro said, growing slightly tired of all this talking. "I think that there is a few questions I have, and your going to give me the answer." Pointing to the Egyptian monster with a threatening black, ridged finger.

"Certainly. What question would you like me to answer first?" He smiled, unphased by the finger pointed directly at his chest.

"Lets start with that guy." Kiro growled, turning the pointed finger into an extended thumb with all other fingers close. He motioned over his shoulder to where the reaper had been floating moments ago. "What the hell is that thing and why did it want to kill us so badly?"

"Alright." The Gravekeeper's Chief nodded, accepting the question. "That was the Reaper of the Cards. In your world, he is a monster card in the game you play. Here though, he acts as the grim reaper. He wanted to kill you so badly because you four, in his opinion, are cheating death time and again."

"So he's angry cause we've not died already." Heruru smirked at this. "Serves him right then for getting the shit blasted out of him." Turning his head, he looked back to see if the reaper was there. Seeing nothing, he turned back to the Egyptian man. "Alright then, explain to me why its us that he is even after and, where we even are."

"Because you four posses something that no other being has; a connection to both the human world, as well as the Duel Monsters world. You four posses avatar cards, a card that is your basic essence. As the Reaper of the _Cards_, it is his job to want the souls of the monster cards, such as yourself. As for where we are, this is a world of dreams." The Egyptian man exclaimed, lifting his free hand so the palm was pointed towards the black sky. "This world exists connected to the realm of dreams. When Kiro's mind wonders out of its allowed space it suddenly is jerked into here by forces outside of all of our control. The best way to explain this place is a dream world."

"But the last time I was here I was alone. I couldn't even feel the presence of these guys in my body." Kiro said, motioning to the three other demons. "How is it possible that they are here now? And why do they have their own bodies here?"

"Again, dreams." Letting his hand fall to his side, the Egyptian man smiled at the green haired boy. "In this world anything is possible. It was your wish to be separated from them, so here they have their own bodies to inhabit. Though I have no clue why they are here now and not before. Maybe your bonds have become stronger as you have changed into one of their kind."

Kiro's eyes drifted from the monster down his own body. He clenched his raven black fingers into a tight fisted ball. His pointed ears twitched slightly as he closed his eyes. He could feel himself scrunching up his sharp black toes inside the shoes.

"Is there any way to change him back to being human?" Hebanu questioned, looking from the boy to the Gravekeeper's Chief. "Or is he stuck like this because of us?"

"The latter of the two I'm afraid." Closing his eyes, the monster shook his head sadly. "From the demonic energy that attached to his soul from the years of being with you guys, he has bonded with it and made it his own. He is forever a demon." Looking up he saw that Kiro still had his eyes closed and his hands in tight fists. "His anger and hate tapped into that energy, and changed him in that instant."

* * *

Kaira stood up from the bed. Reaching her arms up above her head she arched her back and stretched. Letting a yawn escape past her wide open lips. Finally letting her body relax she as that Chao and Deo were not in the room anymore. Kiro however was still crashed out in the chair, his arms crossed over his body.

Deciding to let him sleep, she wondered out of the room to see if she couldn't find Chao and Deo.

Standing outside, Kaira spotted the two kids she was looking for standing at the edge of one of the cliffs. The were staring over the entire city below as the gentle breeze ruffled through their clothing.

Slowly she began to walk over to them. The sun sat high in the sky, indicating that it was already late in the day. Finally reaching the other two, she silently walked up next to them and looked out over the city with them.

"Its crazy to think about how far we have come and how much we have grown together in the past weeks." Chao broke the silence when he first noticed Kaira wondering up next to them. He noticed her nodding in agreement. His eyes deep navy blue eyes shifted back to the city that rested beneath them all. "And to think, it's almost over too."

"You going to miss all the action?" Kaira asked, also not taking her gaze off the skyline.

"Sadly, I will." His lips curled into a weak smile. "This has at least made life interesting. How about you?"

"Yeah..." Her voice was soft, almost not even audible. Deo, who had remained quiet looked over at the two teens as they talked. They both looked like they were trying to hold back from crying. This had brought them close together, like a family. It almost made him take pitty on them.

* * *

"So here's my question." Kiro growled, stepping forward slightly. "Since no one wants to tell me, I'm demanding now. What the hell is it that these demons need to do when they are released from my body!" He almost screamed the last part of his sentence into the Egyptian man's face.

"Kiro!" Heruru yelled, grabbing the boys shoulder in his tight grip. "We've told you over and over again. We cannot tell you what our purpose is."

"I know, but that doesn't mean that he can't." Kiro tried to wriggle out of the grip as he spoke, pointing to the Egyptian man when he was talking. "Now tell me, I have a right to know at this point. TELL ME!"

Adverting his gaze, the Gravekeeper's Chief found a spot on the fog covered floor to stare at while he fought with himself. He knew the answer to Kiro's question, but he dare not say too much.

"I suppose that it is time that he knew a few things." Kooru interrupted the monsters thought. "After all, at this rate, soon we will be released and he will know anyways." Putting his hand on Kiro's shoulder, drawing Kiro's head to look at him, he sighed and smiled weakly. "But do realize that we cannot tell you all."

"Ok, but tell me something." Kiro reluctantly agreed. Heruru and Hebanu were in complete shock at what they were hearing. Though they both wanted to speak up, they didn't say a word about it.

"Alright." Gravekeeper's Chief began, looking at Kooru for the nod of approval. Once getting it he continued. "Long ago, there was a great war waged between two dimensions. This war was so climatic that it threaten to rip both of the worlds to compete shreds. All of this, over a rare and powerful treasure.

"This treasure mysteriously appeared one day from the heavens, and though it fell into a kingdom ruled by a lovely queen, many, many people thought that the treasure did not belong to her but rather to him or herself. Eventually, things died out into two sides. Some were on the side of the Queen and fought with her to keep the treasure. Some where opposed to this idea and wanted to get the crystal for themselves so that the queen didn't abuse the strange power it had.

"Kooru, Heruru, and Hebanu were involved in this ancient war too." Looking up, he saw that Kooru's eyes were warning him to not go into it very much farther. "Though I cannot tell you on which side they were in. Lets just say that the battle eventually took a turn for the worst, causing many deaths, but finally was put to an end.

"The treasure was locked away and never was to be disturbed again. Though, that isn't the way things seem to have been going. A major source of power is awakening and the new guardians of the treasure aren't at present strength strong enough to fend off this upcoming evil. That is why you are trying to release the demons. They are needed to help." Kiro cocked his head as the Egyptian man finished his tale.

"Help who? Help the great evil that is trying to do..um..evil? Or help the guardians of this treasure stop this evil?"

"You've known these spirits your entire life." Gravekeeper's Chief looked directly into Kiro's red eyes. Not shaking a bit from the death like gaze Kiro's eyes were naturally sending off, he continued to speak. "You judge for yourself what side they would be on."

* * *

Walking out of the stone room, Kaira walked back up to the two boys. Sighing, she looked at each one then back over her shoulder to the doorway to Kiro's room. "He's still fast asleep. I don't think he would mind very much if we took this time to leave for a bit." Looking back at Chao, she almost broke down into tears. "Thank you so much for doing this for me!" She almost screamed, jumping into his arms to give him a big hug. "You have no clue what this means to me."

"I know." He said, patting her on the back. "Lets go, you deserve this much at least." And with that, he led Kaira and Deo to the stair case that led down the brown rocky side of the mountain.

* * *

"_I"ve know them my whole life, are they good or evil?"_ Kiro's mind pondered over all the situations in his life that he had taken notes on these three demons. _"Hebanu is defanently a good soul, I don't think I've ever seen him try to hurt anything."_

Cranking his head to look at the sky blue haired demon, his eyes widened as some thoughts began to run though his mind.

"_But all the secrets, he could be hiding his true nature. He seemed pretty cold hearted when he and Heruru attacked that reaper."_ His eyes slowly growing in size as he remember to when Hebanu even threatened his life after his attack on the reaper. _"Is this true, is all three of them out to get this treasure for this evil side? Is this all a trick? Which side is the evil side?"_ Kiro's head began to pound. So violently that he had to grip his head in a vice of his hands. His eyes squeezed shut from the pain.

"Kiro?" Hebanu looked on as the kid began to stagger around the fog covered floor. Raising his hand, he let it wobble in mid air for some time before letting it fall again.

"_They all have had been evil in some right over the course of time I have known them. What side are they on?"_ Grinding his teeth together, his fangs bared from his lips. _"And why does it hurt so much to think about!"_

Gravekeeper's Chief just stood on and watched with the other three demons as Kiro stumbled about helplessly. Sighing he spoke without looking at them. "Well, he is trying to reject anything in his mind he can and here in this dream state it's begging to rip his mental body apart."

* * *

Kaira took a few steps forward onto the soft green grass that used to be her front lawn. Though she hadn't lived there so long, it still was her home. She fell to her knees, looking at the mountain of black wood that laid before her. Police tape still wrapped its way around the perimeter of the area. For some reason, the work to get the mess cleaned up had been slowed down by other problems in the city.

She sat there on her knees for a long time, eyes transfixed at the spot where she last saw her family. The only family she had left. First her mother died, then her father and little brother. Why didn't she just die? She had to close her eyes to try and restrain the water that was begging to build up. Shaking her head from side to side slightly she tried to convince herself that crying was going to do no go. She had cried enough in the past week. No more.

Then she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. Opening her eyes, she looked to see Chao kneeling next to her. His warm smile breaking through all the pain she was having.

"You know, there is no shame in crying here." He spoke softly, patting her shoulder as he said his words. "You won't be judged here, this is your time, take as much as you need."

"Thank you." She chocked passed her lips, returning his smile. A smile that opened the gate way into her soul and streamed out her joy. Her unrestrained happiness. All of her emotions came out at once, tears flooding down her cheeks. Partly in mourning of her family, the other part in her delight. Reaching out, she wrapped her arms around Chao's neck and cried into his shoulder.

"_She's never let herself really cry. Its always had to force its way out."_ He realized, patting her back and just letting her get it out of her system. _"She's been so worried about Kiro but hated to show it. She never got a chance to grieve for her family that died, and she never asked to take time to. It was always here, and she never bothered to get away and take time to herself. Getting so busy watching over us."_ Smiling as he watched Deo slowly cross the lawn, coming closer to the two of them, he shifted his eyes back down to Kaira. _"She is so strong, there is no doubt in my mind she is the brave warrior that was meant to accompany Kiro through these trials." _

"_So much pain."_ Deo frowned at the two of them, lost in his own thoughts. _"Pain. Suffering. All because of Kiro."_ Bending down next to the two of them, he leaned in against Kaira. Very softly he whispered; "I'm sorry that you are in so much pain."

Not sure what to say, she just wrapped her arm around his body. The three of them making a large lump in the middle of this green grass. The mountain of black wood stood behind them, the chuncks of metal found in it were reflecting a faint pink light.

In the darkening sky, the bright pink sphere of light began to make its ascension across the horizon.

* * *

Kiro jerked around, the pain was becoming to much for him to handle. He fell to the fog covered ground, rolling about with his head still clamped in his hands. The pain was far to much to bear, it was ripping him apart from the inside. He couldn't even hear his own blood curdling screams, his head was swimming with so much pain, it was completely numb.

"WHY DOES IT HURT SO MUCH!" He screamed as his body curled up into a fetal position there on the ground. Not being able to hear himself, he screamed it again, louder, more violently. His body fiercely shaking.

"Will he be ok?" Kooru asked, looking sadly down at the trembling body that lay before him.

"Not in here he won't, he's ripping his mental state apart. Once he wakes up, he should be fine physically, though I don't know what this will do to him emotionally." The Egyptian monster replied, also looking down at the pathetic curled up ball on the ground.

Slowly before his eyes, the boy started to break apart, like an old tv losing its signal. His physical body becoming very staticky, see through. Next to him, Kooru, Heruru and Hebanu were doing the same thing, though they looked through their hands with terror flooding their eyes.

"What in the hell is happening?" Heruru growled out, bringing his head up to look at the monster.

"Your returning to your world now." The words became softer before they were finished coming out of the monsters mouth. The four of them completely vanishing into mid air.

* * *

Kiro jumped out of the old chair with a start. He ended up jumping across the whole floor of his room and landing against the far wall. Snapping his head around, he took in the entire room in less than a half a second.

His breathing was deep, ridged. His solid red eyes were filled with an unmistakable terror. Though his pain was gone, his head no longer fuzzy and hard to live with. His body however felt numb, like it was still expecting the mass amounts of pain.

_("You ok Kiro?")_ Kooru's voice echoed from inside his mind. The sudden voice shocked him for a second and put him on the defense. His hands trembling in mid air as he stood defensively in his room.

Finally being able to calm down, he let his arms drop to his side. _"I'm fine."_ He growled back, taking in a few good, long, drawn out breaths. After his shaking stopped, Kiro opened his eyes again and looked at the room. It was no different than a few seconds ago, but the atmosphere seemed lighter to him.

That's when he felt it. The unmistakable pull. His eyes wide, he blasted out of the room faster than the human eye could follow. The white duel disk that rested against the chair Kiro was just sleeping in vanished in the rush of air that followed.

Everything flew by him in a blur, yet, at the same time, it seemed if he was the only thing moving at normal speed. The world appeared to have slowed down just for him. He bounded his way down the familiar stairs that lead up the mountain to his hidden home.

"_About time that stupid tester showed up."_ Kiro thought as he rushed down the street, pasted many moving cars and trucks. Rounding a corner, he slammed on his own breaks and slid to a complete stop in front of Kaira, Chao, and Deo who were walking down one of the back streets.

To them, Kiro seemed to have just suddenly appeared out of thin air, followed by a gust of wind that followed his arrival.

Kaira screamed, startled by Kiro's zero warning entrance. Though she calmed down when she saw that it was just Kiro, she saw that Deo and Chao also had shrank back because of the sudden entrance of their demon friend.

"Kiro, you scared us." Kaira snapped, angered that he had scared them. "What did you think your doing?"

"Test." He said, looking up at the bright pink moon in the sky. "The tester is here." And with that, his head snapped around, looking at all the dark buildings in the area. His voice like a roar, he bellowed out "Come out!"

"Come out of where? I've been behind you this whole time." A new, hissing voice came from behind Kiro. Startling even him, he spun around to find a black robed figure standing inches away from him. "You should pay attention. I could have killed you that fast."

"Why didn't you then?" Kiro growled, flexing his claw in front of his body like a wild animal. His pointed ears twitched in irritation. "Isn't this all about killing or being killed? Why did you announce yourself instead of just finishing your job?"

"Why do you want him to kill you so bad?" Chao asked from his place next to Kiro, wondering why Kiro was asking so many questions of the tester. "What's got you so flustered all of a sudden?"

"Nothing!" Kiro glared at Chao out of the corner of his eye. Turning his attention back to the black robed figure before him he repeated his question; "Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?"

"Because, some of us here are honorable." He said, bowing slightly before grabbing the black cloak that hung around his body and ripping it off. Snapping his hand out, the cloth floated through the air and landed on a yard nearby.

The body of the tester looked like that of any average person. He has defined muscles though that showed off because he work a tank top that was camouflaged colored, matching his cargo pants. His hair was raven black, and his eyes a navy blue color. The two, long triangles drawn below his eyes identified him as indeed being the tester. The ninth tester.

"The name is Shiva, the tester of the Bright Pink Moon." He said, speaking rather slowly but a sly undertone in his voice. "And hopefully not the end of the trials for you. Just me and one other trial you must face and they may be released. Now are you ready to prove your merit against me?"

"More than ready." Kiro shot back, holding up his arm with his duel disk on it. A whining noise rang through the area as the dueling plate appeared from the white wrist gadget. The blue bubble at the top lit up, displaying numbers counting up to 5000. On the back of the wrist gadget, eight of the ten little gems were glowing with their respective colors. Only two were left dead.

"Then lets duel." Shiva announced, whipping his arm around. Chao, Kaira and Deo were suddenly thrown off to the side by an invisible hand. Kiro was pushed back by this same hand, but more so he was lined up with Shiva for the duel.

The street below the two of them vanished, leaving a large, rectangular pit below them. Kiro flinched when he saw the ground disappear, but realized he was now standing on a platform of pure light, as was Shiva.

"The loser will fall down there." Shiva announced, pointing downwards. Below, the floor of the pit was lined with swords, spears, knives and broken metal shards. No one would last a second in the mess of sharp and lethal weapons. "So hope you don't lose. Now shall we begin?" Shiva asked, drawing Kiro's head back up the black haired tester.

"Of course." He smirked, slamming his shuffled deck into the deck holder. "Time for me to whoop your ass and move on to the final test."

"Riiiight..." Shiva smirked at Kiro's sad attempt to sound tough. Around his arm, a duel disk appeared, looking as if it were carved out of chunks of black metal. It was rough, unfinished in many areas but had all the bells and whistles needed. On the plate that stuck out of the side, gray boxes indicated monster card zones, and ridges holes on the side indicated the magic and trap zones. A screen on the top of the metal around his wrist sprung to life, showing the life point number.

Kiro-5000 LP  
Shiva-5000 LP

* * *

Lifting its robed head, the lone figure standing in the center of the ten pillars looked up at the only light in the room. Of the ten pillars, only two of them had the lime green flame burning brightly upon them. One burned brighter than the other, indicating Shiva was in the midst of the ninth test.

"And so it has begun. This should all come to a close so very soon." It spoke, its rough and ridged voice echoing in the empty chamber. "About time to make my very own appearance above ground."

With that, the figure seemed to be engulfed in a pillar of smoke and green embers. It towered in the center of the chamber for a good while before falling apart completely. The smoke billowed out to the side, filling the whole room in its dirty smog.

The center figure was no were to be seen after it dispersed. They were simply gone, on their way to surface for the end. The end which was drawing slowly closer.

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Another week, another chapter for your pleasant enjoyment. I hope you have actually...you know...enjoyed it. Keep your eyes opened cause we are almost ready to start this battle. Kiro vs Shiva in the ninth test. Aren't you curious how this will play out? Come on, you know you are! Just don't forget to review afterwards, ok? I love hearing from you, any reader. Have a nice day folks!  
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	40. The Secret Arts! Kiro vs Shiva

Chapter 40: The Secret Arts! Kiro vs Shiva

Kiro-5000 LP  
Shiva-5000 LP

Each player began by sliding the top five cards from their resting place on their decks. Fanning them out, Kiro and Shiva began to calculate strategies to use against each other. Kiro, shifting his red eyes up towards the raven black haired tester, awaited the opening move.

"I start." Shiva finally announced, deciding what the first play of the game would be. "Draw!" With that, he snapped the top card from its place on his deck and whipped it in front of his gray eyes. Grabbing another card from his hand he placed it on his duel disk face down and horizontally. "I set one monster face down." He declared.

The card appeared inches before Shiva's feet. Hovering out in the middle of nowhere, the card shined as it took on a life-like body.

Shiva shifted his feet, almost like he was uncomfortable, on the white disk he stood upon. Looking at his hand of cards, he looked up with no expression on his face.

"I end my turn right there Kiro."

"Not so impressive of an opening play. Draw!" Kiro smirked, sliding the top card off his deck and adding it to his hand of cards before he looked down at it. _"Just setting a monster almost always means its effect is quite devastating and he wants me to walk into it. Well..."_ Picking one of the cards in his hand, he slapped it face down on the disk of light. "I too set one monster face down on my field."

Just like Shiva, a brown backed card appeared inches in front of Kiro's feet. Behind the horizontal card on the field, two vertical cards rippled into existence.

"And I set two cards on my field." Whipping his arm out to the side as he called out his move. "I end my turn."

"Really." Shiva raised an eyebrow, "that is exactly what I wanted you to do. I really can't believe you did." He talked while drawing his next card. Looking at it, he quickly deposited it into his hand. "First and foremost; Flip set monster!"

With his words, Shiva's set monster card flipped over and turned itself vertical on the field. From the card image, a warrior dressed in a pure white shinobi shozoko, the outfit of a ninja. Only the eyes and the hands were visible in the winter like outfit it wore. (1500/800)

"White Ninja rises up!" Shiva announced as his monster took a stance to mimic that of a ninja. In between each of its fingers it held star like shurikens, the weapons of ninja's. "When this monster is flipped face up, it destroys one defensive monster on the field." Shiva announced, pointing to the set card that rested on Kiro's field. "So go ahead and take that monster out!"

With a flick of its wrists, the monster let one of the fatal weapons slip from its fingers and embed itself in the center of the brown backed card. Multi-colored lighting shot from the penetration point and hairline cracks started to spider web their way across the card.

"_My set monster is Gravekeeper's Spy (1200/2000), its effect would let me pull one monster with Gravekeeper from my deck and place it on the field, but that's only if its flipped face up."_ Kiro bit his lower lip with a bit of disgust. _"But his monster will destroy it before it gets its effect off."_

Kiro reluctantly picked up the card off his duel disk and placed it in the hole that was representing the graveyard slot. The image on the field broke into small glass like shards and plummeted far below to the barren wasteland of twisted metal.

Kiro let his lip slid out between his pointed teeth when he started to taste the copper of his own blood. His eyes, just for a split second, darted downwards to the two set cards on his field. _"At least I am still protected."_ He thought, a small glimmer of hope ran through his body at this fact.

"Now to deal with your face down cards." Shiva announced in his calm, sly voice. The mere sound of his words made Kiro physically shake for a second, amazed that Shiva had practically read his mind. "Magic card go! Ninjitsu Stealth Assault. By discarding one card from my hand, this card can equip itself to any monster on my field with 'ninja' in its card title."

Behind the snow white assassin a green bordered card appeared. Nodding, as if pleased with the card advantage on its side of the field, the White Ninja preceded to launch itself high into the air. Spinning its whole body around several times in a tornado fashion.

Kiro watched with amazement and wonder at what the ninja was doing. Then his he felt something on his arm. Just a small sting, like a needle had penetrated his skin. His head quickly shifted to his left arm to see that a hair line cut was ripped through is shirt and a tiny bit of crimson blood was trickling out.

Kiro-3500 LP  
Shiva-5000 LP

"So...your monster attacked." Kiro realized looking back up at Shiva. The White Ninja landed gracefully on the field before its master, taking another battle stance. "And your magic card gave your monster some sort of special power during battle so that the enemy can't see the attack coming."

"Very good observation Kiro Rinku." Shiva tilted his head down as he spoke. Motioning to the card that was resting behind his White Ninja with his arm, he spoke again in his sly voice. "Ninjitsu Stealth Assault equips to a ninja monster, giving it the power to sneak around all your traps in the battle phase. So you couldn't have countered that even if you saw it coming."

"The power to negate traps in the battle phase." Kiro's eyes darted down to his set cards on his field, then to the three cards he now held in his hand. "Impressive card to say the least, now that I'm assuming your done, I'll just take my turn..."

"Hold on!" Shiva yelled, his head snapping up. Grabbing two of the cards in his hand he slid them into his duel disk. "I set two cards face down on my field before your turn comes."

"Whatever." Kiro growled, placing his black fingers on the top card of his deck. "Draw!" The card, once Kiro saw its face, went directly onto the duel disk on his arm. Before Kiro a familiar Egyptian warrior appeared wielding a long decorated spear appeared in a rain of sparks. "Come forth, Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier (1500/1000) in attack mode!" Kiro cried out, announcing his monster. Snapping his spear down, the monster smirked at his arrival.

"Impressive monster." Shiva, still in his sly voice, complimented but because of the tone of voice, almost sounded like an insult. "Too bad my monster has the exact same attack score as yours, or it might be a formidable foe."

"Shut up and maybe you'll learn something." Kiro growled, sliding one of the other cards from his hand and sliding it into his duel disk. "Magic card; Book of Moon activate!" The green bordered card appeared behind the spear wielding monster, begging to glow in a magic light. "This card can flip any monster on the field face-down. I chose your White Ninja!"

"And your monster could deal damage through defense." Shiva observed as the Book of Moon card began to send rays of light rushing towards his monster. "Too bad I counter your move with my set Magic Jammer, isn't it?"

With a rush of energy, the set trap card on Shiva's field flipped up and sent out its own purple rays to intercept the light coming from Kiro's magic card. Grabbing one of the two cards from his hand, Shiva slid it into his graveyard, smiling the whole time. The purple mist grew stronger, overcoming all of the rays of light and eventually the card hologram itself. Cracking, the card seemed to crumple under an invisible hand.

"By discarding one card, Magic Jammer can negate and destroy any Magic card you try and use. Very handy in situations like this, wouldn't you say?" Shiva, still smirking, spoke while fanning himself with the last card in his hand.

Kiro's right fist was squeezed into a tight ball, anger filling each one of his eyes. "I end my turn." He barked, angered that his move didn't work.

_("It's alright Kiro.")_ Hebanu's comforting voice came from inside his mind chamber. _("Just a minor set back, I'm sure you'll still do fine.")_

_("I'm not so sure.")_ Kooru whispered to himself, his hand resting on one of the mental walls of the chamber. _("He's so scared, he's physically shaking inside. He's only putting on a tough guy act outside. I don't think I've ever seen him this spooked.")_

"Draw!" Shiva had no hesitation as he slid his next card off his deck and added it to the one card that still remained in his hand. Smiling slightly, he slapped it down on his twisted metal duel disk without another thought. "My next monster is known as Lady Ninja Yae (1100/200)."

A green haired female warrior sprung onto Shiva's field in a blast of purple smoke. She whipping her dagger around through the air as she took a battle stance, her body incased in a tight purple jump suit. A red scarf blew in the breeze of the night.

"She has the power to return all your magic and trap cards to your hand." Shiva continued to explain, holding up the last card in his hand. "At the cost of me discarding one wind attribute monster. I chose to discard this; Roc from the Valley of Haze (2400/1400)." Flipping it over, Shiva was seen holding a orange bordered card with a picture of a huge bird monster flying high in the sky. "The nice thing is, if Roc from the Valley of Haze is discarded from my hand..."

"Its added immediately to your deck and you get to reshuffle." Kiro finished off his sentence, sounding bored with the maneuver. Sluggishly he pulled the two cards out of the duel plate and added them back to his hand.

"You know your cards well." Shiva had a glint of darkness in his eye as he pulled his deck out of his deck slot and placed the card on the top. With a few good shuffles, he slid it back into its slot. "Well, it still won't do you any good, I suicide my White Ninja into your Spear Soldier."

"You'll what?" Kiro's eyes widened as the snow colored ninja projected itself high into the air. Whipping its arm back across its body, a star-like shrunken went whizzing across the gap between the two monster, embedding itself into the chest cavity of the monster. A blood curdling scream ripped from the lips of the Egyptian warrior tainted the night air as his body suddenly exploded.

Within seconds, the White Ninja also exploded. Smoke and embers showered down onto the field from the two monster self-destructions. Kiro watched as the smoke before him was violently ripped out of the way as the purple suited ninja warrior came flying at him.

"Lady Ninja Yae attack directly!" Shiva's voice called out across the smog covered field. Winding her arm back, the monster ripped the dagger at Kiro who held up his own arm for protection.

Kiro-2400 LP  
Shiva-5000 LP

A thin, crimson colored line traced its way down Kiro's right arm where the monster had just slashed him. Growling slightly, he let his arm fall to his side as the Ninja bounded its way across the invisible floor to Shiva's field.

By this point the smoke has almost dispersed completely, leaving a clear sight of Shiva's ninja monster and his set card. Though he had nothing in his hand, he still smirked confidently.

"Down by more than half your life points on my second move of the game." Shiva rubbed in the damage to make it feel even worse, his monster gave a sort of chuckle at the accomplishment. "Either way, you'd better hope you can make a quick comeback or you'll be out the other half of your life by my fourth turn. I'll just let you take it away."

"Quit being so cocky you bastard." Kiro snapped, placing his fingers on the top card of his deck. "I'll teach you to give me some respect. Draw!" With that, he snapped the top card off his deck and slashed it through the air. He quickly grabbed another card from his hand and slapped it down onto his duel plate. "I summon Gravekeeper's Assailant (1500/1500) in attack mode!"

Kiro's black robed assassin appeared before him in a shower of sparks and up bursts of light. With a gallant stride, the monster began to do tricks with its wavy blade to intimidate the opponents monster.

"Impressive." Shiva noted, the monster taking a battle stance. Just waiting for Kiro to give the word to pounce on its unsuspecting prey. "But I can say that its not going to be enough to win this duel."

"Not on its own, no, but it'll be a good start!" Kiro whipped his right arm out pointing towards Shiva's monster. "Attack!" He bellowed out, his monster vanishing from its spot before him. The next thing either of them knew; Gravekeeper's Assailant was barreling down from the sky on the young kunoichi.

"Activate!" Shiva yelled just as the wavy dagger sliced right down the monster leaving a blinding white light where it had cut the monster in two. After jumping back to Kiro's field, they both watched as the monster fell into two parts before a rush of pink smoke enveloped both chunks of monster.

"Seems like your trap didn't stop my monster from destroying yours." Kiro smirked as he watched the two smoking meteors tumble through the air to the pit of death below. Inclining his head at again, he was prepared to insult Shiva more. The words though found themselves stuck in his throat. There, standing on Shiva's field was Lady Ninja Yae, not a scratch on her body.

"Seems I've left you speechless." Shiva smirked, motioning to his activated card. "This trap card is called Ninjitsu Art of Decoy. Once activated, it prevents a monster with ninja in its title from being destroyed as a result of battle." Looking down rather disappointed, Shiva continued his sentence. "Though I still take the battle damage as normal."

Kiro-2400 LP  
Shiva-4600 LP

"Well, whatever." Kiro growled, pretending as if the move didn't just irk him off. "I set two cards face down once again and end my turn. Hurry up as this duel is starting to bore me." Kiro faked a yawn afterwards to emphasize his point.

"If you say so." Shiva commented, not phased at all by Kiro's little act. He drew the next card of his deck and looked at it, a solemn expression washed over his face. "I set this one card face down on my field." He announced, sliding the card into his duel disk. It appeared on the field behind the green haired lady with a rush of light, then she bent over onto her knees and her card image ripple into existence below her. "I also switch my Lady Ninja Yae into defense mode. Your turn Kiro Rinku."

"If you say so." Kiro smirked, drawing the top card from his own deck. "Its time I took this duel back under my control. Reveal trap card: Rite of Spirit!" One of his set cards flipped up revealing a card image of three Gravekeeper's standing around a stone statue that appeared to be some kind of snake god. The card began to glow and from the card, Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier appeared once again on the field (1500/1000). "I revive my Spear Soldier in attack mode."

"And even though my monster can't be destroyed in battle, you can still deal damage through defense." Shiva observed Kiro's play, approval seemed to be an undertone to his words.

"That's right, and with only 200 defense, you'll be taking 1300 points of damage each time!" Kiro was chuckling evilly at this fact. Pointing to the monster, Kiro began to call his attack; "Spear Stab!"

"Counter attack!" Shiva yelled out, slashing his hand through the air until it was down at his side. "Trap card; Shadow Spell go!"

"Shadow Spell!" Kiro, Kaira, Chao and Deo all gasped with the appearance of the trap.

"Right." Shiva nodded, his sly voice returning fully, as well with a little bit of pride mixed in. "Shadow Spell will stop your Spear Soldiers attack as well as weaken it by 700 attack points. This, I'm afraid, will be putting a damper on your plan of attack."

From the trap cards image; black, iron chain burst out. They whipped their way across the field and preceded to ensnare the Egyptian warrior. Wrapping tightly around its torso, legs, arms and neck, the chains began to pull tightly together forcing the spear wielding monster to not only drop his weapon to the abysmal pit below, but to fall to the invisible floor on which they were dueling. (800/1000)

Kiro was grinding his teeth together, frustrated that Shiva again pulled off a counter. It wasn't that he was stopping everything Kiro was throwing at him, all the testers seemed to have, but it was the fact that Shiva was so calm and composed about it. As well as the tone of his sly, untrustworthy voice.

"Dammit! Whatever! Your move!" He barked out, grinding his claws on his feet into the bottom of the tennis shoes.

"Oh Kiro Rinku, don't get so mad with me." Shiva smirked, trying to sound as if he was caring. "I'm just winning now, lets hope you'll turn this around shall we? I'll just draw now." He was somewhat happy to see the card he now held in his fingers. Happily he placed it on his duel disk next to his female ninja. "I summon Ninja Commander Ikusa (700/700) in face-up defense mode on my field next."

A ninja appeared on Shiva's field in a black shinobi shozoko. Light green armor adorned his body otherwise and a light green helmet was placed over his head with a long crescent moon shape chunk of metal on the front of it. On his back was a large wooden, spiked weapon.

From the shadows behind the monster, a ninja decked out in purple with a white face mask covering his eyes appeared and drifted off to the left. On his back was strapped a katana, it brown strap running diagonally across the front of the monster.

Both monster appeared kneeling over their respective card images.

"He also summons my Ninja Soldier Katana (400/400) in defense mode." Shiva smiled, shifting one of the cards' position on his duel disk. "I shift my Lady Ninja Yae into attack mode, and let her attack your Spear Solder!"

Crouching down, the young kunoichi barreled skyward. Slashing her small, deadly dagger through the air, she began her rapid decent on her attack target.

"Activate trap card!" Kiro bellowed out, whipping his arm across his body. "Desert Sunlight forces all the monsters on my side of the field to shift to face up defense mode." Kiro's black robbed assassin shrank down to their knees, the card image appearing below it in a flash of light. Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier's card appeared below it, but because it was bound so tightly by the chains, it couldn't crouch down. Thought it was sill considered in defense mode when the dagger was stabbed deep into its chest cavity.

It gave a raspy scream into the night air as the dagger drilled itself deep into the monsters heart. Seconds dragged out into agonizing minutes before the monster finally blasted apart into dull orbs of data. The orbs blasted outward, crashing into Kiro and the female ninja before she pulled in impressive mid-air back flip and landed on Shiva's field.

"Since your out of cards, it's my turn." Krio growled, sliding the top card off his deck and gazing at its face. Sighing slightly, he slapped it down onto his duel disk. "I sacrafice my Gravekeeper's Assailant in order to summon forth Secret Spirit Guard - Hebanu (2400/1800)."

A flash of light appeared around the kneeling monster, consuming it as a whole. In its place appeared a large, robed monster that appeared to look like Kiro used to look in his human form. His hair was sky blue though, and his eyes were a soft, radiant yellow colour. Its robe was white, with the embroidered orb like design in the back. Snapping its head up, it smirked darkly at the green haired ninja.

"Hebanu attack now!" Kiro cried, pointing to the monster target; Lady Ninja Yae. Without hesitation; Kiro's monster barreled across the field and slammed its fist into the gut of the female warrior. An eruption of pink smoke consumed the monster, making a large smoking meteor fly downwards to the pit below of twisted weapons.

Kiro-2400 LP  
Shiva-3300 LP

Withdrawing its fist, Kiro's power-house monster leaped back to its masters field, striking a gallant pose with its victory. Though it watched with angry eyes as from behind the veil of pink smoke, the monster it was sent to destroy still stood without any scratch on her.

"My Ninjitsu Art of Decoy has saved my monster yet again, but you've dealt me quite a chunk of life point damage." Shiva grimaced as he looked at the life point scores. "Looks like my next card has to be good to turn this whole duel around. That, or I'll just suffer under the avatar of one of the spirits."

"I vote for the second one." Kiro jumped in, a bit of dark humor to his voice. Crossing his arms across his body, he nodded, letting Shiva know that it was indeed his turn.

"We shall see what happens. Draw!" He cried out, sliding the top card from his deck and glancing at its face. "Graceful Charity eh? Good card to use in this spot, it lets me draw three cards, but I must discard two of them." Snapping three cards off his deck he fanned them out. Their titles read; Strike Ninja, Block Attack, Strike Ninja. Smiling, he grabbed the magic card and one of his duplicate Strike Ninja's and slid them into his graveyard, leaving his hand with one card. "Looks like I didn't draw what I needed, so I shift my monster to defense mode and end my turn."

Lady Ninja Yae crouched down again over her card image. Smiling she crossed her arms across her body and pointed her dagger outwards to ward off any attack that may come at her. She closed her eyes and seemed to drift into a meditative state.

"Then I draw," Kiro began, sliding the top card off his deck and adding it to his hand. "Then I summon from my hand; Gravekeeper's Vassal (700/500). Attack mode!" A young Egyptian monster appeared on Kiro's field next to the robed monster. Its attire was a light brown robe, with a lime green vest that ran across its body. "Go Vassal attack Ninja Soldier Katana!" Without even giving his monster a second to get comfortable on the field, Kiro sent it hurdling into battle.

Quickly crossing the gap between the two monster, Kiro's vassal monster punched into the gut of the purple ninja. Destroying it almost instantly, the monster bounded backwards till it was standing on Kiro's field once more.

"Secret Spirit Guard - Hebanu attack his Ninja Commander Ikusa now!" Kiro bellowed, making his larger monster do the exact same thing to the green armored ninja. Though the explosion that was caused was much bigger, sending waves of smoke and ember flying across Shiva. "You see, I'm far more worthy of releasing these damn demons. Why not just surrender and let me do just that."

"Because your not worthy, your arrogant." Shiva spoke, his sly voice had a tint of anger in it.

"Whatever." Kiro growled, angry at being insulted. He pulled one of the three cards out of his hand and slid it into his tray of light. "I set one card face down and this ends my turn."

"Your Secret Spirit Guard - Hebanu would have been far more scary if you had properly summoned it to the field." Shiva again spoke as he was drawing his card. "Though a grand beat stick, it would have been better if you would have held it to see if you couldn't get more use out of it."

"Hey, its kicking your ass isn't it?" Kiro snapped back at the rudeness in Shiva's speech. "His power is far more than you can handle at present, so you shouldn't be talking."

"Temper, temper." Shiva scolded, placing his fingers on the top card of his deck. "Don't get angry with me. It's my turn." He announced, drawing the top card off his deck and holding it up so he had a clear view of the face of it. "Activate magic card; Card of Sanctity! This card requires us both to draw until we hold six cards in out hand. Since we each are holding two cards, we have to draw four right now."

Kiro growled a bit as he snapped four cards off his deck in one swoop. Shiva took each card one at a time, adding them to his hand as he went. Once they were holding six cards, the Card of Sanctity vanished from the field and each of them held up their hands to study the new selection of cards they now held.

"Now I shall show you the power of my Strike Ninja, rise up in, in attack mode!" Shiva cried out as he slapped one of the cards in his hand down on his duel disk. On his field in a burst of light appeared a black clad ninja monster, dual wielding shurikens'. A golden cross was on top of his masked face, and two red circular eyes stared at the world (1700/1200).

"Your monster pales in comparison to my monsters." Kiro said, motioning to his Secret Spirit Guard - Hebanu. "Though it is impressive, I would say it's a waste of time to try and use him to try and stop me."

"Arrogance again." Shiva shook his index finger on his right hand. "When will you learn. True power comes from using all the weapons you have to their fullest potential. I will be using Strike Ninja to take out your most powerful monster, as well as gain powerful field control soon. Just you watch." Shiva smirked, his sly voice replacing his anger once again. From his hand, he slid out another cards with his right hand and inserted it into his duel disk. "Magic card; Fuhma Shuriken!"

Striking a ninja like pose, the black clad ninja held his arms out but across his body. Between each of his fingers, star-shaped shurikens' began to appear. The monster let out a grunt as power flowed through his arms and into his body (2400/1200)

"This card increases my monsters attack by 700 attack points because he has ninja in its card title." Shiva continued to explain, raising his arm slowly so he was pointing to the white robed monster. "Rivaling that of your most powerful monster."

He quickly slid one of the four remaining cards in his hand out and into his graveyard.

"I can discard a second Lady Ninja Yae to activate the power of the one I have on the field. If you recall, it sends all your magic and trap cards back to your hand." Smirking, he watched as the green haired ninja on his field sent out a powerful wind, blowing away the set card Kiro had on his field.

Growling, Kiro had to pull the card out of his duel plate and add it back to his hand of cards.

"Now, Strike Ninja attack Secret Spirit Guard - Hebanu!" Shiva cried out, whipping his arm around his body for emphasis. Bursting across the field at incredible speed, the black ninja launched a handful of shuriken's at the robed monster. The attack came so fast that the monster didn't have time to react before the metal spikes lodged themselves into the chest of the monster. Grunting in pain, the monster grasped his chest before exploding.

The blast was so intense that it caught the black ninja in it, swallowing him in the cloud of gray. Both Shiva and Kiro slid their most powerful monsters into the graveyard. Shiva held up another card though before depositing it into the grave, the equipment card; Fuhma Shuriken.

"When this card is sent from the field to the graveyard it deals you a total of 700 points of damage." Shiva explained, the card vanishing into the darkness of Shiva's graveyard. A rush of light burst out from the hole towards Kiro, blinding him temporarily in the white light.

Kiro-1700 LP  
Shiva-3300 LP

"My turn isn't over quite yet. My next move I will set this card face-down on the field." Shiva announced, sliding one of the three cards in his hand into his duel disk. In a ripple of yellow and white light, the brown backed card appeared before him. "And next comes this magic card." He said, whipping one of the remaining two cards in his hand through the air and placing it into his duel disk. "Ninjitsu Art of Rebirth!"

"Art of rebirth?" Kiro's red eyes widened as the black Strike Ninja appeared once again on Shiva's field. Grabbing his extended index and middle fingers in it right hand and extending the right hand index and middle finger upwards, the ninja made a meditative noise with its rebirth.

"Yes, Art of Rebirth. This card lets me revive one monster with ninja in its title to my field." Shiva motioned to the revived monster as he spoke. "Though the one draw back is that it cannot attack as long as it remains face-up on my field."

Shiva waved his arms down to the side. The reflection of the bright pink light showed off of all the twisted and destroyed weapons in the pit far below created an odd aura over the whole field that the two of them were dueling. From the side lines, Kaira, Chao, and Deo watched silently, taking in each move as they came.

"Now on with this duel. I wish to see what kind of move you'll try to counter my moves. And," smirking slightly as he spoke, his voice getting a cruel undertone, "I do stress the word try. Your turn Kiro."

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Special thanks: First off, Ninjitsu Art of Rebirth, the magic card Shiva played there at the end, does not belong to me. It belongs to a friend of mine; Bryon Youngblood. All credit for that card goes to him, and I thank him for letting me have use of it.

Shiva, the ninjitsu master has shown his true colors in this raging duel against young Mr. Rinku. Taking a massive lead early in the game and holding it for a long time. Can Kiro pull some kind of come back? The next chapter will have all these answers, new questions, and much, much more for your reading pleasure. Thank you all for reading, feedback is always accepted by anyone, no matter who you are, and have a nice day folks!  
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	41. Awaken Your Courageous Heart!

Chapter 41: Awaken Your Courageous Heart!

Kiro fanned out the hand of cards he held with his black, ridged claws. He studied each card carefully. The only card he had on his field at the present moment was Gravekeeper's Vassal in attack mode (700/500). His opponent had Lady Ninja Yae (1100/200) in face-up defense mode and affected by his trap; Ninjitsu Art of Decoy. Thus making it pretty much immortal. A set card and then his black leather ninja; Strike Ninja in attack mode (1700/1200).

"Its my move." Kiro growled out, baring his pearly white fangs as he spoke. "Draw!" He yelled out, snapping the top card off his deck and whipping it through the air. Sliding it into his hand, he grabbed one of the other cards and flawlessly slapped it onto his white light dueling plate. "I make a single offering in order to summon out; Secret Spirit Guard - Heruru (2400/1800)!"

The servant monster vanished in an uprush of white light. Standing where it once was, a tanner version of Kiro's old human form appeared. It was covered in a black robe, the opposite of its brother that was just moments before on the field. Flexing is fingers, it moved its raven black hair out of the way of its orbs of darkness it had for eyes.

"Another of the spirit monsters shows up, but because of your sloppy summoning you don't get his powers either." Shiva shook his head, disappointed with Kiro. "Haven't you learned yet that you need to make maximum use of all your weapons?"

"Each weapon comes with various uses though." Kiro snapped back, pointing his hand towards the black ninja monster. "And I'll show you that my weapons are best on the offensive. Go Heruru, attack Strike Ninja now!"

"Oh no you don't." Shiva whipped his duel disk upwards, his right hand catching the stack of cards that was ejected from his graveyard slot. Fanning them out in his right hand, he plucked two of the cards out with his left hand before sliding the stack of cards back into the metal chunk duel disk. Flipping the cards over, he showed their faces to Kiro; Strike Ninja and Ninja Commander Ikusa. "By removing two dark monsters from play, I can remove my Strike Ninja for one turn. This will cancel out your attack I'm afraid."

"Wait." Kiro snapped his arm out, pointing to the two cards. "When did you get a second Strike Ninja in the grave? You've only played one so far." Kiro's accusing voice dripped with pride, beliving he had just caught Shiva cheating.

"Played on the field, yes you are correct." Shiva nodded before lowering the two cards he held. "But if you recall, I played my Graceful Charity magic card. With it, I had to discard two cards from my hand to the grave. One of them was this second Strike Ninja. It has been placed in my graveyard fair and square."

With that, the Strike Ninja vanished in a blast of black smoke. Secret Spirit Guard - Heruru roared with anger that his prey just vanished. Flailing about in a rage, he growled and moaned with displeasure.

"Your moves won't save you forever. No matter what you think." Kiro said, sliding one of the other cards in his hand into his duel disk. "I re-set one card on my field and this ends my turn."

With that, the Strike Ninja reappeared on Shiva's field, striking a gallant ninja pose accompanied with a grunt.

"Making the most of all of your weapons and options." Shiva smirked as he drew his next card from his deck. "When I used my magic card; Ninjitsu Art of Rebirth, I sacrificed my Strike Ninja's ability to attack to revive him. But..." Smiling, Shiva held out his hand to increase his emphasis. "By removing Strike Ninja with his own ability I have reset him, now he is able to strike and take you down."

"That would be a great combo idea." Kiro sarcastic voice was ringing through the night. "Had it not been for another slight miscalculation. My monster is still stronger in attack!" Kiro whipped his claws through the air, his monster mimicking the movements.

"You'll never learn." Shiva shook his head, disappointed again in Kiro's rude and stupid comments. "I'll just show you my power. I summon forth Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke (1800/1000) in attack mode."

A purple skinned warrior appeared on Shiva's field next to his green haired ninja and the ninja in the black jump suit. He was wrapped in a white bandage type cloth that made him look slightly like a mummy. And in each of its hands it grasp a small dagger with a glowing pink blade, reflecting the moon's color.

"Another..."

"Do not finish that sentence." Shiva interrupted Kiro before another comment could come past his lips. Pointing to his face down card, Shiva refused to argue with Kiro. "Open trap card! Ninjitsu Art of Transformation!" The set trap flipped up, sucking in the newly summoned grandmaster ninja into the card image. "I must offer my newly summoned monster in order to special summon a new beast that is even more ferocious."

Shiva wasted no time sliding the Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke into his graveyard slot. Holding up the last card in his hand, Shiva flipped it over so that Kiro could see what it was.

"Because I activated my Ninjitsu Art of Transformation I can now summon a beast, winged-beast, or insect type monster. You should recognize this monster, I discarded it once for my Lady Ninja Yae's ability." Flapping the card in the air for a second, he slammed it down on the exact same spot where his previous monster used to be. "I summon Roc from the Valley of Haze (2400/1400)!"

A horrible ear piercing screech came from th black sky above. Down dove a large, brown bird monster towards the battle field. Twisting in mid-air, some impressive stunts were pulled before the massive beast found its final resting place hovering about Shiva's other monsters'. It head had no flesh on it, just solid bone with endless black eye sockets. Its massive tan feathers rippling in the air as it flapped its wings to stay afloat.

The sheer size of the monster made Kaira, Chao and Deo take a few steps backwards. Once again, to announce its arrival, the beast let out another howl into the night, causing Kaira to slap her hands over he ears. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the sound.

"What an impressive beast." Chao's voice was still muffled by Kaira's hands, but she could tell the horrid screaming was gone. Opening her eyes she saw Chao lowering his hands to his side as he was doing the same thing. What struck her as odd was that Deo was still standing there, the same exact spot, the same exact pose as before. It seemed that he hadn't even moved to stop the screech. "Hey, are you alright?"

The sudden voice as well as a pat on the shoulder brought Kaira's attention quickly to Chao. She looked at him confused for a second, and he returned the look.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She finally responded, registering what he had said. "I was just...never mind." She cut off her sentence, shaking her head. She brought her gaze back to the field before them.

"Shiva has left nothing to chance. He's assembled a powerful team that has, time and again, taken apart Kiro's strategies. I don't know of much else he can really do." Chao placed his hand on his chin and began rubbing it. "And if Shiva is going to continue the same pattern of attack that he has been using, I think I know what's coming next."

"Yeah." Her eyes were wavering a bit as she watched Shiva's monster strike into battle poses. "Come on Kiro." She whispered. Her lips barely moving as she said it. Then, for just a split second, her eyes darted down to the kid that stood next to them. Something was bothering her about him all of a sudden. Though they didn't know much about Deo, they never had a problem with him being around. Now she felt slightly uneasy with him standing there. Deciding not to do anything, she just slowly inched farther away as casually as she could and focused on the duel before her.

"Kiro Rinku!" Shiva shouted, whipping his arms out to the side, his palms to the sky. "Not only in battle is it vital that you make every possible second count. Not only do you have to use each and every weapon to the fullest of its abilities, taping into every use and fullest power level. Not only do have to have a tactical plan in order to succeed, but you need some knowledge of how to take the risks involved with battle."

"Why are you blabbering on and on?" Kiro cocked an eyebrow. He smirked a bit as Shiva lowered his hands to the side, his white teeth glinting in the light still cast by the pink moon.

"Why!" Shiva's voice had turned into anger now. Clenching both of his fists he glared solid daggers at Kiro. "Because you obviously don't know. How in the hell you made it past each and every tester before me I will not know. You've made very poor uses of the weapons at your disposal and tried the same type of moves over and over again." Letting his fingers finally slide out of the ball Shiva was keeping them in, he shrugged a bit to relax his arms. "A good magician knows you can't impress the audience by doing the same trick too many times in a row."

"Do I look like a magician to you?" Kiro was starting to grow angry himself. He was beginning to flex his claws in and out on his right hand. "So what if I have, I've been able to over come every obstacle in my way and your no different. I will get past you." Kiro curled all of his claws on his right hand into a tight ball. "I will kill you!" He roared out.

"No you won't!" Shiva yelled back, whipping his right arm across his body. "That is what I'm trying to tell you!" Slamming his right fist into his left palm as he spoke with such anger, the echo burst through the night air. "I'm the ninth tester. There are ten of us. Do you realize why I'm the ninth tester?"

"Don't know, don't care really." Kiro shrugged, acting as if he really didn't care. "I just wish you would shut the hell up and take your turn already. I'm growing bored standing here." His monster nodded in agreement.

"Impatient fool." Shiva scolded, placing his right hand on his chest. "When we were deciding the order of testers based on their victories over the others, I came close. I was undefeated in battle, because I found ways to make all my weapons count. True, each of the other testers have brutal tactics and great plays, close wars were waged between us but I still managed to come out on top every time. But once..." His hand slowly started to slid down his chest, his voice began to waver a bit as he continued to speak. "The one who is now the tenth tester was also undefeated, and is still undefeated till this day. There was no close matches, he beat all nine of us brutally."

"What?" Kiro's eyes widened slightly at hearing this. He turned his body so he was facing straight forward, starting straight at the tester that stood before him. "That is impossible! You and the other nine testers are great duelists, some of the best I've seen in my time. There is no way they could have over powered all of you without you bringing it close."

"There is a way, cause he did. That is how ferocious this warrior is." Shiva's hand finally slid off his torso and rested at his side. "Us nine; Andron, Salacia, Iah, Gallus, Hachiro, Lait, Nori, Daiki and myself all fell to him without barely scratching the surface. He was un phased by any of our strategies we could throw against him. Now do you understand what we all have been trying to teach you. We are trying to give you a fighting chance against the tenth tester."

"I thought these were to make sure I was a strong person, body and soul, to withstand the separation of my body from the three spirits that rest inside of me." Kiro objected, whipping his arm though the air. He was not even trying to hid his fear that was growing, bubbling in his red iris's. His arms were slightly shaking, whether from cold or fear, no one else was certain. Kiro himself knew thought that it was indeed fear.

"We are." Shiva nodded. "But at the same time, have you not noticed that each of us has taught you different things about dueling, and about yourself?"

"Well, I guess I have noticed that." Kiro nodded slightly, thinking of all the things that he had learned while in these past eight nights. "Yeah, each of the testers has provided a different look on how things can go, and each tested me in various fields."

"Correct. Not only to make you a better person, as a living creature and at dueling, but we are all trying to get across to you that you don't stand a chance against the final tester with the type of playing you do. One little mistake, and its all over." Even Shiva was shaking in fear by this point. He clasped his hands together, looking at them with cold, hard eyes. "You've been chosen by the powers above to fulfil this ancient duty. Your destiny is behind a gate that lays not to far in the future. But to get to this gate, you need the tri-key, the will power, and ten victories under your belt. Then once the gates are open, you will finally be able to see what is meant to be."

"Yes, now that you mention it." Kiro said, interrupting Shiva before he could go any further. "You seem to know a lot, but no one has yet told me what the tri-key is. I think I have a right to know since I'm so close to having to use it."

"I don't have to tell you what it is. You already have it in your possession." Shiva was flexing his fingers as he spoke, his eyes were trying to avoid looking at Kiro, hence they betrayed him and released too much information.

"Dammit, everyone tells me that. It doesn't help me any!" Kiro roared, snapping his arms down to the side. "Tell me what it is I already own that is this tri-key!"

Silence. Nothing but silence followed. Shiva clenched his fist, then released his finger to clench them again.

"You'll know when the time is right." He finally broke the silence, still staring at a single blade in the twisted pile of weapons below. "But if you must know, think of what is now in your life that wasn't there before. What is drastically new that yet doesn't seem to have a purpose to you in this ancient struggle, yet has the whole meaning of it locked within."

Kiro remained silent. There was nothing he could possibly conjure up to say.

"But now is not the time to discuss any of this." Shiva's eyes quickly darted over to the sidelines, staring at Deo, Kaira and Chao for a split second before drawing his gaze back to the green haired boy that stood before him. "You'll never face the tenth tester if you don't get past me first. Now, Roc from the Valley of Haze, attack! Wipe out his Secret Spirit Guard - Heruru!"

"Negate Attack activate!" Kiro bellowed out as the large bird began to dive forward towards his monster. His single set card reacted, flipping up and sending out a tornado of wind towards the bird, pushing it back to Shiva's field. "As the name says, it will negate your attack and makes your battle phase end on the spot." Kiro explained as the card vanished from the field.

"You saved yourself. Had that attack gone through, this duel would surely have been over. You with only 1700 life points remaining that is. Alright, I shift Strike Ninja into defense mode." Shiva turned the card on his duel disk horizontal, making the proper monster on his field kneel down on its card image. (1700/1200). "And it looks as if I end my turn."

"About time." Kiro grunted, placing his fingers on his deck. Looking down, he was ready to draw and see what he had, but he was frozen when he saw his fingers. They were shaking. His arms were shaking. He was scared. "...draw..." He managed to whisper out, sliding the card very slowly off his deck and flipping it over to view its face.

"_The price Kiro is paying now is his own confidence. He's let far to much build up inside of him that now he's afraid of himself being afraid."_ Shiva thought, his eyes waiting for Kiro's reaction to the card he had drawn.

"_Its me."_ He thought, viewing the cards' face. In his hand was Gravekeeper Kiro, trembling along with his fingers. _"But, like me, its far to weak to be of any use. It's as worthless in this situation as I am."_

The area had grown into a solid silence. Not a word was spoken, not a breath made out of rhythm. All seemed to be in perfect sync as Kiro pondered over the card in his hand.

_("What in the hell do you think your doing!")_ Heruru snapped from inside Kiro's mind. Kiro felt a pounding sensation as Heruru slammed his fist into the wall of the mental chamber. _("You do NOT need to be thinking thoughts like that. You are far from worthless, and far from beaten here.)_

_("He's right Kiro. Your not worthless.")_ Kooru agreed, placing his hand on Heruru's shoulder so that he wouldn't slam is fist into the wall again. _("You've pulled yourself out of many spots in the past, and you did it with your own power. Thoughts like that are what are making you weak.")_

_("Have courage.")_ Hebanu added, also walking up to the other two demons in the mental chamber. _("Stand up for yourself. Just like the Kiro we've always known. Be strong as stone!")_

"_But I have no more courage, I'm weak, Shiva's told me that. All the other testers told me that!"_ Kiro closed his eyes, water beginning to form under his eye lids. _"I...I can't do it."_

_("Weakling!")_ Heruru bellowed, breaking free of Kooru's grip and slamming into the wall of the mental chamber again. _("Remember when you charged in to attack the Reaper of the Cards? Though very reckless and stupid, it was still very courageous for you to do so. Why did you do it?")_

"_I don't know."_ Kiro shook his head slightly. _"I just hate him. He needed to die cause I didn't like him at all."_

_("No. Its because he was trying to kill you, take you out of this world.")_ Heruru stepped forward, placing his left hand on his chest, and motioning off to his side with his right hand. _("But you knew your task wasn't done. You knew there are people, and us demons, out here that are relying on your help. We need you. Kaira needs you. Chao needs you. Your not finished, you can do this. Just open your eyes and face your fears!")_

Kiro's eyes slowly peeled open, the tears that had started to build escaped and slid part of the way down his rough cheeks. He added his newly drawn card to his hand and gazed over all seven of the faces.

_("Stay focused. Concentration in battle is key.")_ Kooru advised. Hebanu nodded in agreement to what the silver haired demon had said. _("Think not only what you know and what the other testers have taught you, but start applying what Shiva is telling you right now.")_

"_What Shiva has taught me."_ Kiro gazed at the cards again. _"Make full use of your weapons."_ With that thought, Kiro reach out and pulled one of the cards out of his hand and stared at its face with intense concentration.

_/Flashback/_

_Clenching both of his fists he glared solid daggers at Kiro. "Because you obviously don't know. How in the hell you made it past each and every tester before me I will not know. You've made very poor uses of the weapons at your disposal and tried the same type of moves over and over again."/_

_/End Flashback/_

"Alright then." Kiro raised his head up so he was looking directly at Shiva. "I won't use the same move again. This time I will surpass you! Magic card activate! Harmless Trade." Pulling out one of the other cards in his hand he flipped it over so Shiva could see its face. "This card lets me place one of the cards in my hand into my deck. Then I can draw a new card after shuffling."

The card in his hand; Royal Tribute, was placed on the top of his deck then vanished as Kiro began to shuffle the cards. Even sticking his tongue out as he shuffle, Kiro focused all of his energy on the stack of cards he was working in his hands. Finally satisfied he slid the stack back into his deck and pulled the top card off of it.

"Now it's time. Magic card; Pot of Greed!" Without a second of hesitation, Kiro slid the next two cards off his deck, sliding one of them into his hand and the other onto his duel disk instantly. "Next card, Necrovalley!"

Around the pit where they were dueling, large stone walls began to burst up from the ground. Towering high in the sky above them, the valley encased the whole arena. Shiva looked around, somewhat impressed with the power he could feel from the valley.

"And this!" Kiro continued, sliding a new card into his field magic slot. "Djeser-Djeseru!" He cried out as the large stone temple of his magic card began to appear behind him, showering him with a brilliant light. "And then myself. Rise up! Gravekeeper Kiro (1800/1100)!"

Before Kiro, next to the large black haired monster appeared a tan version of how Kiro used to look as a human. He flexed his muscles at his appearance, glaring at the set of ninja's that stood before him. The valley that surrounded them reflected in his eyes, increasing his power (2300/1600).

"_He's calling on his inner courage to give him power."_ Shiva spoke to himself, very impressed with the level of intensity he was feeling from the arena around them. _"This is the power Andron knew he had that separate him from his father."_

"Now to strike down your bird beast!" Kiro whipped his arm out so he was pointing at the floating avian. "Gravekeeper Kiro attack!" He bellowed sending his monster into battle.

With a crack of lighting across his consciousness, Kiro once again found himself in the charging body of his monster. This no longer had any shock value to him that he was suddenly rushing into battle again. With a spring on his heels, Gravekeeper Kiro launched high into the air at the bird. A fist landed directly center on the skull of the bird, sending a shock wave bursting out through the night air with contact.

A chain of explosions ripped down the spine of the massive monster until it was just one big fire ball in the night sky. Pushing backwards, Gravekeeper Kiro retracted his arm and flipped back to is side of the field, landing flawlessly on the invisible floor.

The explosion, embers, and smoke caused Shiva to cover his face to avoid getting any unwanted material on him. Not to long after it burst into the sky, the flame ball subsided, leaving nothing of the monster in its wake.

Kiro-1700 LP  
Shiva-2900 LP

"So you managed to destroy my Roc from the Valley of Haze." Shiva's arm dropping to his side again as the attack subsided. His eyes locked on the duelist across the field from him. A cold look was returned.

"That is right." Kiro said, his voice finally returning to normal. "Djeser-Djeseru causes a monster with 'Gravekeeper' in its title to gain 500 attack points if its in battle with a monster that has more power than it does. No matter the gap, so the 100 point different was more than enough." Kiro explained. Behind him, the large stone palace began to glow in a ghastly yellow aura. "And on top of that, Gravekeeper Kiro deals you 200 points of aditional damage for every monster with 'Gravekeeper' in its title on my side of the field, including himself."

Kiro-1700 LP  
Shiva-2700 LP

"And now to take care of that annoying ninja." Kiro lowered his arm so it was pointing in a direct shot at the black ninja that was crouching on his card. "Secret Spirt Guar - Heruru attack Strike Ninja now!" With the order, the raven black haired beast charged forward on the invisible floor, slamming his fist into the head of the ninja, causing a simultaneous explosion with the contact.

Shiva smiled a bit to himself as he placed the orange bordered card into the twisted metal duel disk's graveyard slot. _"This is the type of courage and determination that is needed. The inner power that the only other person I've seen unlock with this ferocity is him himself; the tenth tester."_ His eyes slowly lifted to see Kiro standing on his field. _"This kid will make his own ledged with that power. If he can unlock it one more time after this duel; against him, than he will be the first and the only person to face the tenth tester in battle and come out the victor." _

"Shiva, I end my turn." Kiro stated, unmoving as he had been since he launched his first attack. Around his body, a blood red aura was licking outwards, whipping at the sky with raging force. His eyes were cold, unwavering as he stood there.

"Very well." Shiva nodded, the top card of his deck being pulled off by his hand. His eyes only left Kiro for a second to check the card image. His draw had failed him, it was nothing that was of any use to him at this time. He quickly exchanged it into his left hand and looked back to Kiro. "Lady Ninja Yae still acts as a wall from your attacks, so I shall be protected for the time being. I forfeit my turn to you."

"It won't act as a wall for long." Kiro placed his fingers on the top card of his deck, the blood red aura seeping into the cards as he spoke. "I will find a way to tear it down." Slowly, steadily, he began to pull the top card off his deck. "And I shall do it...in this turn!"

* * *

"_With the coming of the new moon, the answers would have been gathered and the final is taken. Preparations over, the bravest warrior stands beside the guardian as they make the finial walk up the road most well known."_

Katana again recited in her head what was written on the piece of paper that lay on the desk before her. It seemed so straight forward, but at the same time it made no sense to her at all. She sank back in her chair and stared out the window that set in the wall right above her desk. Directly in view was the bright pink moon, its rays were cast across the whole land.

"With each test there is a change of the moon." She whispered to herself as she stared at the odd moon color. "So this must predict when the trials are over, as it talks of a new moon, but the rest of it sounds as if it's the during the trials." Her voice was getting louder, more to normal as she pondered over what the code could possibly mean. "And who are the people it talks of, and where are they going? I assume that it speaks of Kiro, but can I be sure?"

Izumi and Michi started at Katana's back from their spot on the couch in the middle of the room. The two sisters remained completely silent as Katana talked to herself out loud. Finally Izumi turned to her sister, in the quietest possible voice, and spoke to her;

"This riddle is really puzzling her. I don't think any one in the past has been so difficult for her to solve."

"I know," her sister whispered in reply. "Katana has always been really smart, solving all kind of puzzles with ease, but..." Her eyes darted to the floor below. "When it comes to this whole mess with Kiro and the spirits, she hasn't found a straight answer to come easy."

"Kiro and the other take every thing as if it all makes perfect sense to them." Izumi's eyes joined those of Michi on the carpeted floor. "Maybe its because they are so care free, just going to roll with the punches?"

"Or they have the courage to face what ever is going to come up against them next." Katana's voice jerked both of the girls heads back up to the sandy brown haired researcher. "The three of them are strong, not always physically, but strong hearted. They know subconsciously that together they will over come any and every obstacle that confronts them." Her eyes drifted to the window again, the moon drawing her attention like a magnet. "They have heart."

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Another day, another chapter finished and made fully complete. I hope you all have enjoyed the duel so far between Shiva and Kiro. All opinions are welcome from any of my readers. Have a nice day folks  
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	42. Trials of the Mind

Chapter 42: Trials of the Mind

"Very well." Shiva nodded, the top card of his deck being pulled off by his hand. His eyes only left Kiro for a second to check the card image. His draw had failed him, it was nothing that was of any use to him at this time. He quickly exchanged it into his left hand and looked back to Kiro. "Lady Ninja Yae still acts as a wall from your attacks, so I shall be protected for the time being. I forfeit my turn to you."

"It won't act as a wall for long." Kiro placed his fingers on the top card of his deck, the blood red aura seeping into the cards as he spoke. "I will find a way to tear it down." Slowly, steadily, he began to pull the top card off his deck. "And I shall do it...in this turn!"

His eyes concentrated on the top card, as if he were trying to pierce through the back with his eyes to see what lay on the front of the card. Though his intense stare at the card, that wasn't what was on his mind. Lifting his head, he stared straight at the black haired tester.

"Is the tenth tester really as powerful as you say he is?" Kiro questioned, never moving his finger from the top card on his deck.

Taking a second to register what his opponent was asking, Shiva nodded. "That he is. I would not lie to you for no good reason, I speak the truth and only that. He at times may not seem that tough, but his power is immense."

"Am I ready to face him at my current power level?" Kiro's next question came even before Shiva finished his sentence. Shiva thought only as second before shaking his head sullenly 'no'. Kiro's eyes shot down to the top card on his deck. Keeping his eyes locked, he continued to speak. "What can I do? How can I become powerful enough to beat him?"

"Well..." Shiva looked at the boy who stood on the opposing disk of light. The battle had drawn a lot of energy out of the both of them. Kiro stood tall though, his raven black claws still placed on the top card of his deck. "I will admit that you power has grow exponentially since you first started this trial. And I know you've come a long way from your very first move against Andron. But in order to beat the final tester you'll have to learn the lesson that your teaching yourself. Only you know the way to beat him, and its locked deep inside of you. I'm..." Shiva's eyes dropped down to the pit that lay below them. "I'm positive now that I know you can do it."

"Really?" Kiro's head snapped up so he was looking directly at the tester who's head was still down turned. "What makes you say that?"

"Because you've proven to me that you have what it takes." Shiva lifted his head, staring at Kiro with his navy blue eyes. "In this duel you've shown me that you are more than capable of overcoming what is thrown at you. The real test though will come in your strength now." Shiva lifted his arm so he was pointing directly at Kiro. "You've claimed to be able to knock down my wall in this turn, can you do that and drop my life to zero, all with only one card?"

"One card!" Kiro's eyes widened. "I never said only one card!"

"No, you didn't, but the kind of strength you need is inside of you. That strength," Shiva's hand, that was pointing at Kiro, found its way to his chest and rested over his heart. "Will give you the power to finish this game with one card. Can you find it?"

"Just one card?" Kiro's eyes studied Shiva carefully. "How can I do it with one card?" Kiro's fingers, that still rested on the top card of his deck, started to shake slightly from the mere thought of what he had to do. This next card was all he could use to win, that and what force he already had out. What card in his deck could win this?

"Yes, the next card you draw is all that you need." Shiva clenched his right hand into a fist. It shook in the air at Kiro. "I know you can do it, prove it to me and you'll pass this test instantly, putting you to the final test, and showing you the power that is needed to face the tenth." Shiva let his hand come to his side again, but the look of determination never left his face. "Come on Kiro Rinku. Do it!"

"Alright." Kiro nodded sheepishly, not sure if Shiva was totally serious. His eyes rested on the top card of his deck, fiercely trying to see through it to what card lay on the other side. His fingers started to shrink back, curling up on the card but not sliding off the end.

_("Kiro, it'll be ok.")_ Hebanu reassured his host from inside the mental chamber. _("Don't get too worked up. You have what it takes, just relax and let it come.")_

_("Focus.")_ Kooru's voice rang in as well, overlaying Hebanu's voice. _("This power is in you, and even I know what he's talking about. Your greatest power has been unleashed before, but you've always done it in rage and anger. This time, try to find it without losing you level head. Concentrate on it, focus on that inner power that you have. Relax, anger will cause it to burst out wildly, and out of your control.")_

"_How do you know so much about it?"_ Kiro cocked an eyebrow at his silver haired friend. Waiting for an answer, he felt a mental slap smash across his conscience. _"OUCH!"_

_("Idiot, I've trained many people alike. Heruru, Hebanu, and billions of others. The first and most important thing I've ordered them to do while their power was growing was to calm down, and look deep inside for the inner strength. THAT is stronger than any physical or mental strength. Your courage, your bravery, your conviction.")_

Kiro nodded slightly, putting complete faith in Kooru's words. His eye lids slowly shut over his white and red eyes. He tried to find what he was looking for, but it didn't seem so easy as he had no clue what he was looking for. He felt his frustration growing, but suddenly quelled it by taking in a deep breath, letting the air slowly and steadily escape his lungs.

His concentration grew but he let his breathing become slow, steady, and easy. His mind didn't pry its way down, it slowly sank through all of Kiro's feelings, emotions, and thoughts. Then, with a ease, he found exactly what he was looking for.

His body began to pulsate, the blood red aura started to rise off his body again, licking at the sky. Down his arm and through his claws, the trail of the aura led directly into his deck, filling it with a inner glow that made it shine out in the night.

His eyes snapped open, the top card of his deck flashed through the air as Kiro's draw winged his arm back behind his body. Between his thumb, index and middle finger was his drawn card; glowing with the blood red aura.

"You've done it." Shiva smiled, pleased that he knew Kiro had exactly what he needed.

Within a second, the card had slid between Kiro's index and middle finger. Whipping it forward and out, he snapped it forward so Shiva could see it. His eyes were burning with a passion that he had never felt before, the blood red aura around his body began to spike up, whipping out as the card began to glow in his fingers.

"Magic card; Mystical Space Typhoon!" From the green bordered card in Kiro's fingers shot a violent twister, ripping its way across the field. "I target you Ninjitsu Art of Decoy!" Kiro bellowed, the light blue tornado smashing into the card image, bursting its way through and shattering the rest of the card image. The shards free fell down into the weapons pit.

The green haired Ninja glanced over her shoulder, her eyes wide with terror that her only defense was down the drain. Her head returned forward, her eyes still glancing out as far back as she could. She lifted her dagger a bit more, trying to make the best defense that she could. Down her cheek a single bead of sweat could be seen glinting in the light of the bright pink moon.

Kiro slid the card into his graveyard slot before snapping his arm out to his side. "Gravekeeper Kiro attack! Destroy Lady Ninja Yae!" Launching itself high into the air with the attack order, the monster began to plunge through the air at the purple suited warrior. As before, Kiro's consciousness jerked into that of his monsters'. With one swift forward jerk of his arm, he slammed his fist into the body of the female ninja. A pulse wave burst through the night on contact, the warrior exploding in mid-flight from the attack.

Kiro-1700 L  
Shiva-2500 LP

"Well, impressive. Too bad that I'll live through this direct attack by 100 points." Shiva wiped his forehead. For a split second, he actually was afraid though Kiro did what he wanted him to do he though.

"Wrong."

"What?" Shiva's arm dropped limply to his side. "What do you mean? How can you finish me this turn, your monster only has 2400 attack points."

"Yes it does." Shiva's eyes widened at Kiro's bold statement. "But because I have my field card on my field; Djeser-Djeseru, it will give me the power to defeat you in one blow." Kiro whipped his arm forward so he was pointing at the tester. "And this is the power I will use to defeat the tenth tester. You don't have to worry about me!"

"Very well." Shiva nodded, bracing himself for the attack.

Kiro nodded, "Djeser-Djeseru counts as Necrovalley while on my field, and if I have a Necrovalley on my field all damage done by my Secret Spirit Guard - Heruru is doubled." Clenching his fingers into a fist, Kiro snapped it back to his side. "Attack!"

Diving forward, the demon avatar monster sent his fist into the gut of the tester, knocking him flying off his disk like platform that he stood upon. As his body slid past the edge of the rock walls of the pit, the ground flashed back into existence, making the street perfectly untouched under Kiro's shoes.

It appeared as if nothing had happen on the street, the hologram of Kiro's monsters faded away. The three spectators on the sidelines ran to the demon's side as he stood, staring blankly down the street before him.

"You did it Kiro!" Kaira jumped with joy, grabbing Kiro's right arm as she bounced. "One more test and you'll be done with all this madness."

"I did do it, didn't I?" He lifted his left arm and looked at his black claws. "I found the power to drive him back and defeat him in one move." His eyes started to quiver slightly as he curled his fingers together into a fist. "But..." His eyes shut tight.

Kaira, Chao and Deo stepped back slightly as their buddy stood in the street, in that same pose. Nothing but his chest, and his mouth were moving as he took in deep breath, talking the whole time.

"...but it took so much. I..." His eyes slowly opened, tears beginning to trickle their way down his rough face. "...I stand no chance against the tenth tester if he is really as powerful as Shiva claims."

"What if he was trying to scare you?" Chao asked. "What if he just wanted to make you really prepare for it?"

"No tester has ever lied to me yet, and I can't run the risk to think that is the case." Kiro lifted his head, looking at the group of kids that stood next to him. "So I have no choice but to fear this testers strength until the actual duel either proves me wrong, or shows the truth."

"Kiro." Kaira's voice trailed off, she reached out her arm to him but it froze in mid-air. He stood there, staring at the hand that was hovering next to him. His eyes traced up the arm to the body of the girl who was standing there. Slowly, steadily she began to speak again; "You'll be fine. You have all of us behind you. We know you can do it."

"That's right." Chao threw in. "We'll be behind you all the way. 110 percent!" He whipped his arm up next to his chest, clenching his fingers into a fist to show more emphasis. "And if you still doubt yourself, we have all of tomorrow. We could head back down to Huang's shop and work on your deck."

"I think that would be a grand idea." Kaira jumped in, taking a hold of Kiro's arm again. "We could all help, building your deck again so its ready for this final match."

"But what about your tab?" Kiro asked, looking at Chao. All of the cards Kiro had received last time had been put on Chao's tab, so it was pretty full as it was. Kiro didn't have any extra cash to be buying cards with, nor did Kaira, or Deo.

"Oh don't worry about that." Chao smiled wide, winking at his buddy. "I know a sure fire way to get Huang to give you good cards easy." Kiro slid his head down to his side as he heard Chao talk.

"Then why didn't you do that last time?"

"Because..." Chao smirked. "Last time the situation wasn't set up perfectly. This time though..." Walking up to Kiro, Chao placed his hand on his buddies shoulder. "...you are in the right situation and the right place to get what you need."

"If you say so." Kiro brushed Chao's arm off his shoulder. "And don't touch me..." He growled, walking off down the street. The three kids followed him as he was heading down town.

"Alright Mr. Sunshine." Chao, still smirking, jogged off ahead of Kiro and turned around. "Why are you in such a piss poor mood? You are one step away from finishing this whole trial thing and getting all this madness done with."

"Because..." Kiro had stopped in the street, causing the others behind him to stop as well. He adverted his eyes down away from Chao.

"Because..." Chao prodded, an annoying smile was plastered on his face as he bounced in front of Kiro.

"Because I am afraid ok?" Kiro snapped, with unhuman like reflexes, punching Chao right in the cheek. The stunned kid spiraled through the air before crashing to the pavement below. "Why the hell are you in this jolly gay mood?"

Still a bit shocked, Chao's head spun a bit until he realized where he was. Then he realized that he was in pain. Rolling over slightly he grabbed his cheek were Kiro's claws had smacked into him, cutting small gashed across his flesh.

"KIRO!" Kaira screamed, running up, around to the front of Kiro. With one swift motion she swiped her hand through the air to slap Kiro across the face.

Millimeters from actual contact with the demon's skin, he arm was jerked to a sudden stop. Kiro's claws wrapped firmly around her forearm, preventing all movement. His free hand was then wrapped around Kaira's neck, slowly dragging her body off the ground and into free air.

"Are you attempting to hurt me?" He snapped, his eyes filled with venomous poison as he stared at the woman in his grasps.

She couldn't say anything in response, she shook her head from side to side to indicate that; no she wasn't trying to hurt him. Her feet kick through the air back and forth, connecting with nothing at all. Her hands were on Kiro's claw that held tight to her throat, trying with all her human strength to pry the fingers open.

"Put her down." Chao growled, pushing himself to his feet, his happy demeanor completely gone now. "I said; put her down!"

"Ordering me around?" Kiro's poisonous eyes snapped down from the girl in his hold to the silver haired boy who stood against him. "What gives you the balls to think you are better than I am?"

"Put her down." Chao repeated his statement. His eyes also filling with a poison of his own as he stared down Kiro. "Now."

The air became thick with venom seeping into the currents as the two boys stared daggers at one another. Kaira, who was slowly turning colors in the face, was begging to get frantic in her predicament. Her lungs were burning from the lack of oxygen. Though relief rushed over her as the cool, crisp air once again flowed down her throat and into her ever waiting lungs.

Kiro's had let his fingers sped open, dropping the girl to the cement below in a big heap. She wrapped her own hands around her neck, though she didn't squeeze it like Kiro was doing. Her breaths came in deep, long, and hard.

Kiro's eyes had never left Chao even after dropping the girl to the ground. His facial expression hadn't shifted at all.

"I didn't let go because I'm scared of you, I hope you know that." Kiro growled, his voice dark and threatening. "So don't get it in that thick skull of yours that you are more powerful than me. I can still rip you into shreds with a drop of a pin."

"There is no doubt in my mind that you could rip me apart." Chao stated, also unmoving from his posture. "And because of this fact, I doubt I could ever put any kind of fear into you or claim that I have more power than you do."

"Maybe you're not as brainless as most humans." Kiro snarled over the coughs that Kaira developed while gasping for air.

Shifting up to her feet, Kaira had tears streaming down her red face. Right in Kiro face she spat, anger flushing through her eyes.

"Ass hole!" She screamed, turning and running down the street as fast as she could. Despite the fact she had about suffocated, she still took off at a gallant run and kept the steady pace until she vanished around the corner, the view of her obscured by a large wooden fence.

"Tell me Kiro." Chao brought Kiro's attention back to him. "Do you have better vision now that you are a demon than you used to have as a human?"

"Yeah, why?" Kiro's voice remained steady as he spoke, the venom still dripping off each saturated word.

"Because." Chao turned so his back was to Kiro. He slowly began to walk down to street, continuing to speak. "It amazes me how blind you still are. You normally are angry, but just now you were depressed. All I was trying to do was at least bring you up some. Instead of getting even annoyed, you went into a blind rage. And I use the term 'blind' very strong here."

Kiro stood there, completely silent watching the silver haired boy walking down the street. Deo, who had been completely silent this whole time ran past Kiro and caught up with the silver haired boy. He still refused to say anything, following slightly behind the boy and looking back over his shoulder at Kiro.

"And then there is Kaira." Chao's voice rang out again. "That girl is always by your side. Always there for you. She'll follow you without question, second thought or hesitation. She has stood by every choice you ever made, no matter her personal preferences. And how did you repay her for being so loyal to you?" Chao let his question hang in the air as he came to a complete stop in the middle of the street.

"I'll be at Huang's shop tomorrow. If you want, you can show up and we will still help you with your deck. That is..."

Chao glared back over his shoulder at Kiro.

"...if you are willing to admit that you can't do it all on your own." And with that, he and Deo continued down the street, vanishing behind the same wooden fence Kaira had disappeared behind moments before.

Kiro stood there, his body completely unmoving aside from the occasional blink, and the rising and falling of his chest as he breathed. The wind picked up slightly, blowing dust and leaves at him.

Lowering his head, his eyes became obscured by his long green hair. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Kiro turned to opposite direction and began to slowly stride down the street. Between the four inhabitants of the body, three of them didn't dare say anything, and Kiro himself couldn't form any words of which to say.

* * *

"_Idiot!"_

Kaira screamed in her head. She had made her way to the park, the same one Kiro had faced Hachiro at. The large lake glittered in the light of the now perfectly normal colored moon. She had collapsed by a large tree, pulling her knees up to her chin. Tears still coming down her tomato red face. Around her neck were red claw marks, and even small trickles of blood where the rough fingers had broke Kaira's skin.

"Why is he so stubborn?" She whispered out, her voice rasp as she was still regaining her breath. The run after being choked didn't help her replenish her lungs at all, leaving her quite weak and light headed. "Why does he have to be so angry all the time?"

She stopped, thinking about what she had just asked herself. A small smile crept its way up the side of her lips. _"Well, I guess he wouldn't be Kiro if he wasn't angry a bit."_

She looked up at the sky, the tears still dripping out of her eyes like gentle rain. The balls of burning gases glittered across the sky shined like billions of diamonds. Her eyes reflected each sparkle of the stars of the heavens.

She was unsure how long she sat there, gazing at the wonders of the world above. Each star, ever twinkle, a small comet flashing across as it raced on it journey, caught her blue eyes and dragged them back and forth over the black blanket. Before she realized it, she had a smile across her soft lips and the tears had pretty much ceased.

Chao and Deo had walked up on the incline that led down on all sides to the small lake. They stood there in silence watching as Kaira star gazed. Smiling slightly he began to walk forward again, Deo soon following along in his trail.

"You know." He began, causing Kaira to jump slightly at the sudden surprise. "I do have a spare bedroom at my house if you want to come stay there for the night." Finishing his sentence, he plopped down on the grass by the tree. "It'd be better than sleeping down here wouldn't it?"

"I suppose so." Kaira nodded, looking at the silver haired boy. "Thank you for the offer." She bowed her head, grateful that her friend had actually found her. Shifting her head, she looked up at the younger kid that still was standing. Patting a small section of ground next to her, she smiled at him. "Come on Deo, come have a seat with us." Smiling, he showed his lack of certain teeth before bouncing around the tree and flopping down on the ground next to the girl. "So Deo, you haven't said to much recently. Why not?"

"Um..." Deo's eyes shot down to the ground quickly, his face beginning to turn slightly red.

Kaira's thoughts drifted back, remembering that something about the boy struck her as odd.

_/Flashback/_

"_I summon Roc from the Valley of Haze (2400/1400)!__"_

_A horrible ,ear piercing screech came from th black sky above. Down dove a large, brown bird monster towards the battle field. Twisting in mid-air, some impressive stunts were pulled before the massive beast found its final resting place hovering about Shiva__'__s other monsters__'__. It head had no flesh on it, just solid bone with endless black eye sockets. Its massive tan feathers rippling in the air as it flapped its wings to stay afloat._

_The sheer size of the monster made Kaira, Chao and Deo tack a few steps backwards. Once again, to announce its arrival, the beast let out another howl into the night, causing Kaira to slap her hands over he ears. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the sound._

"_What an impressive beast.__" __Chao__'__s voice was still muffled by Kaira__'__s hands, but she could tell the horrid screaming was gone. Opening her eyes she saw Chao lowering his hands to his side as he was doing the same thing. What struck her as odd was that Deo was still standing there, the same exact spot, the same exact pose as before. It seemed that he hadn__'__t even moved to stop the screech. __"__Hey, are you alright?__"_

_/End Flashback/_

The boy still seemed to be fumbling with words as Kaira began to fill with wonder about the boy. Just who was he? He suddenly didn't seem like some kind of stray, lost boy anymore who just happen to be tagging along with them. Something about him felt strange, different.

"I...just don't have anything to add, as I'm not quite so sure why all you big kids are fighting all the time." Deo's head bowed in shame. At that very instant, Kaira also realized just how young Deo was. He couldn't be any older than 10, if even that old. His speech was that of a young kid admitting they didn't like it when mommy and daddy fought. "I don't want to make the fighting worse, or be yelled at."

"_Growing up the way he did..."_ Kaira's eyes were widening slightly as she saw a glimmer of water begin to trickle down Deo's cheek. _"I bet he never really learned what fear or pain really is. He's probably moved so far past it, that he didn't react at all when the monster screeched. And, he seems like he's letting a weight lift off of his chest by talking about this."_

Kaira wrapped her arm around the little boy and pulled him tight to her, cradling him like a mother would to an offspring. Petting him on the head, she moved her hand back so she was petting his long, tangled brown hair.

"_Sometimes, you just forget how young he is."_ Kaira closed her eyes, letting the young boy weep a little while longer. Chao, who was the one to remain silent this time, sighed and leaned back so he was staring off into the abyss of space.

After a short time, Kaira and Deo finally rose to their feet, startling Chao slightly but soon he followed suit as well. Kaira placed her hand on the top of Deo's head, ruffling him up slightly in a playful manner.

"Alright, it grows even later. We should probably head to your house and get some sleep."Kaira suggested to Chao, the young boy nodding. Chao smiled slightly, nodding back to the two of them. Kaira looked around the gorgeous pond before speaking again. "So what about Kiro, where did he go off to?" He head never left the sparkling water as she spoke, her words trailing off into the night air. Chao kicked a rock that was by his foot, sending it soaring through the air and into the calm, tranquil surface of the lake. Ripples blasted outwards and all mirrored images were instantly distorted.

"I have no clue." He said, watching as Kaira turned her head back to face him. "I told him that I would be at Huang's shop tomorrow if he wanted to show up. I would still be willing to help him with his deck. I think that..." Chao slowly walked towards the lake surface as he spoke. "...Shiva had two major lessons to teach Kiro. One was plain, blunt, and obvious, which he stated over and over again; use all the weapons you have at your disposal to their fullest potential. But I think he had another message he got across loud and clear thought it was never really said."

"Oh?" Kaira cocked and eye brow as Chao bent down and picked up a small gray stone off the ground next to his foot. "What did Shiva teach Kiro that he didn't even know he learned?"

Turning slightly, Chao chucked the rock through the air, skimming it across the surface of the lake like it was solid ground. Splashed rained down on the surface where the stone cracked into the top before finally submerging under. Turning, Chao spoke one word; "Fear."

* * *

Kiro stood on a bridge, leaning against the railing and looking out over the river that flowed under it. His eyes transfixed on a point in the distance that no one but him could see. Almost as if the point he was glaring at was in a different dimension, through a rift in space and time that only his demon eyes could peer through.

Sighing, he lifted his left arm so that he could see the white wrist gadget that still sat there. On the back, nine of the ten gems were glowing with radiant light. Each following the color the moon had taken on each night of the trial. Frozen Blue, Sun Yellow, Blazing Red, Pure White, Warm Orange, Metal Silver, Solid Black, Sea Green and Bright Pink. Only one gem remained dark, dull, and nullified in the gadget.

Sighing, he lowered it slightly so that he could see the stack of brown backed cards he had been using through out these trials. Every card powerful he knew, but they just couldn't match what Kiro's mind represented as 'power' any more. That standards seemed to have been raised with Shiva's words.

Pulling out the cards, he fanned them open in his hand so he could view them as a whole. Familiar cards he recognized that had been with him from the very beginning. Some he had acquired recently at Huang's shop. Either way, this was his deck of cards and, at this very moment, looked like a weak and pathetic waste of space. How was he supposed to beat this fabled 10th tester with a worthless deck?

Which brought his mind to another point. Chao's final words ricocheted through his skull as well. Was this really guilt he was feeling in his heart now? He had never really had any friends, anyone loyal to him, so he really didn't know what it meant to hurt the ones closest to you by your actions. Did he really have friends? All of his life alone save the three spirits in his head as the only companions he ever had, and none of them really were all that kind to him. His grandfather, who he suddenly had a lot more respect for, was always a typical annoyance to the short tempered kid.

Lifting his head again, Kiro stared out into the river. He realized for the first time, right then and there, that he had grown up a lot. From the first time he ever held a Duel Monsters card to the receiving the leather glove with the embedded spirit orbs, to the first time he ever laid eyes on Kaira. Since the first card played in his first trail against Andron to this last card he pulled in his duel with Shiva.

"_Kooru."_ He spoke sullenly to the silver haired demon in his head. His eyes drifting back down to the deck he still held fanned out in his fingers.

_("Yes Kiro?")_ Came Kooru's calm voice. In Kiro's mind he could see that Kooru was in a meditative state on the floor of the soul chamber. His eyes closed and his fists resting in his lap. He didn't seem to have any emotion at all, but rather a kind of responsive state of tranquillity.

"_Do you think I can win?"_

_("Only if you really have the desire to.")_

"_I do."_

_("Then all you have to worry about is how your going to do it.")_ Kooru's eyes slowed peeled open, looking forward as if to look at Kiro himself. _("The first place I would start is to rid your mind of all other distractions, like the ones your having right now. Those kind of things will hold back your fullest power. Make right what you have made wrong.")_

"Make right what I have made wrong." Kiro's claws slowly slid together, folding up the deck in his hands. He slid the deck into his duel disk with no rush at all. Sighing, he looked at the water again as it made its long journey down stream. "Make right...what...I've made wrong..."

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Alright, the next chapter complete. I hope you enjoyed it. This story is winding down to the end, so keep prepared for anything that is coming. Input from you all is appreciated. Have a nice day folks.  
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	43. The Calm Before the Duel

Chapter 43: The Calm Before the Duel

Kiro stared at the large wood door before him with a pane of glass stretching down the middle of the rectangular door. In white paint across the top of the door in an arc was written the store name; Crossroads Card Shop. Below on the door hung a black sign with orange letters; Yes, we are open.

Sighing, Kiro began to reach for the golden colored doorknob. His hands being in the yellow work gloves that Deo had given him a while back. His eyes covered by the same sunglasses and his hair combed down to the side and back to cover the tips of his pointed ears. His demon like qualities completely covered up so he was no more the appearance of any other human.

Finally wrapping his fingers around the knob, Kiro proceeded to push the large door open. A bell rang through the room, triggered by the door moving past a censor sitting by the door. He slowly stepped into the room, to be surprised by the amount of noise there was in the large room.

Many kids and grown men and women alike were crowded around the long tables in the room. Some of them laughing and joking, other hanging out against the walls or tables just conversing. The ones who weren't doing either were locked head to head in a duel. The room was definitely full of life and zeal.

His eyes drifted over the heads of the people in the room. Some of them had stopped to look at him like he was an alien to their world. Some of them hadn't even noticed the new comer to the room. Far in the back, he saw Chao chatting with his curly haired friend, Huang.

Slowly he began to walk across the rooms. Some of the previous heads that had turned to view his arrival began to follow his journey across the room. Some new heads joining them as Kiro walked past them. Finally making it to the end of the two-room chamber of the shop, he stopped just before a set of glass containers on set up like a table. Chao was leaning against these counters, chatting with Huang.

"Yo! Kiro dude, I wondered if you'd show up!" Huang greeted Kiro with overwhelming joy in his voice. Popping around the counter, the slightly over weight man reached out and grabbed Kiro's hand from his side and began to shake it. Kiro didn't even bother to resist the human and let his arm flop loosely in the air. "Chao told me about your great victories in this tournament. All the way to the final game, huh? That is impressive. And the second half of the tournament I hear is from the deck you built while in this very shop!"

Cocking an eyebrow, Kiro looked past the blond, curly haired man to his silver haired friend. "A…tournament?" Kiro questioned, though sounding as innocent as possible so that it didn't show he was completely lost.

"Yeah." Chao nodded, looking as though he was a father proud of his son. "You're in the final match tonight! I told Huang about all you've done so far. He's agreed to supply you to…" Chao's voice dropped rapidly to a whisper and he covered the side of his mouth from the room as he whispered to Kiro; "…the rare stacks of cards."

Huang dropped Kiro hand and ran as fast as he could behind his counter again and vanished through a door into the back room of the shop. Sticking his head back out he motioned for Kiro and Chao to follow him. The two of them slightly shrugged and started to walk around the counter.

"Huang is a huge fan of tournaments, and as a friend, he'll help me or any of my friends out if they happen to make it to the final match of the whole tournament." Chao explained in a whisper so that only Kiro could hear. This, of course came across as perfectly loud with his super human hearing.

"But I'm not in a tournament." Kiro objected, glaring at Chao from the side of his eyes. Chao couldn't tell though because the pitch-black sunglasses were obscuring the view.

"Just roll with it." Chao elbowed Kiro in the gut as they walked through the door leading to a small, dark room hidden in to back of the store. A small, dusty light bulb produced deficient light to the room. Iron shelves lined the walls of the room with boxes upon boxes of files.

Huang stood at a shelf on the far side of the room. Reaching up, his fingers grabbed onto the edge of a large silver, metal box a few shelves higher than his head. Sliding it back, the box finally slid off the shelf and into his waiting hands. With a deep breath, Huang blew off some dust that had taken residence on the top surface of the metal container, brushing it once or twice with his hand to make sure all the crap was removed from the top.

"Here we go." Huang turned and began to walk back to the two boys who still stood in the doorway waiting for their overweight friend. "These cards are some of the better ones in circulation today. Most of these I obtained through tournament victories. The prize winning cards are always good. Others I obtained in some high priced deals. So here ya go." He said, offering the box to Kiro.

Hesitantly, Kiro reached out and grabbed the box. It was heavier than he had expected, but his strength still made it no problem to hold. Huang motioned for Kiro to go back out through the door, which he did without second though. Walking up to the glass counter, he set the box down on it. The sound that came from the metal hitting the glass made some of the heads in the room jerk up to look at him.

"Ya know though dude, it'd be easier to see the cards if ya took off those sunglasses. Not a real need for them in here." Huang said, coming up next to Kiro, Chao coming up on the opposite side.

Kiro's head shifted to look at the curly haired man. "I like them just fine where they are. Thank you very much." Kiro shot out in a rather rude tone. Reaching up with his gloved hand he pressed on the bridge of the glasses to push them farther up on his face.

"Suit yaself dude." Huang shrugged and waited for Kiro to open the metal treasure chest and gaze upon the riches it contained.

Kiro then proceeded to do just that. His gloved hands unlatching the locks on the side of the box, lifting it lid up and off. Inside was indeed stacks of cards, wrapped in some clear wrapping of some sort to keep them clean.

"Alright, ya can look through those for a moment dude, and then we'll get started on your deck." Huang offered, moving away from the counter and back into the back room. Sticking his head back out, he spoke again to Kiro. "We still want to use the same style of deck?"

"Yeah." Kiro replied, starting to pull cards out of the box, reading the effects of the cards he did not recognize. "For now at least." Kiro whispered under his breath as he finished reading a card in his fingers. Only Chao heard this, but wasn't sure what to make of it.

* * *

Kaira pressed down on the red rectangular button on the black device she held in her hand. The T.V. set before her clicked off with the signal from the remote control.

Sighing, Kaira placed the control down on the glass-top table in front of the couch before rising to her feet and walking across the blue carped floor to the sliding glass doors that adorned the wall. Sliding them open, she stepped bare-foot out onto the balcony over looking the roof tops of the city. Things seemed peaceful, quite, undisturbed. Kaira's mind quickly related this to the old saying; the calm before the storm.

"_Kiro is about ready to finish these trials. All he has worked for has led up to this moment."_ Kaira's eyes continued to scan over the gray, square tops of the buildings below.

Chao lived in an apartment on the 7th floor of a complex. A wide view overlooking the city gave a good outline of the district below. Chao had left early in the morning to go down to Huang's shop, while Kaira decided to remain at his house. Her blood still boiled slightly at the thought of how badly Kiro mistreated her the night before. Though, like always, she couldn't stop thinking about him, worrying about him. What would happen to him?

Chao's parents had left also to go to work. Little were they aware, as was the rest of the city that the end of all this madness was upon them. Kaira just had to wonder if they realized what kind of sacrifice was being made. What if this mysterious tenth tester was really as strong as Shiva said? Would Kiro be able to beat him?

Kaira's mind quickly filling with fear again as she continued to think of the previous night; the comments Shiva had made about this 'great' tenth tester. Kiro also seemed scared, he wasn't going to pass Shiva's words off as being idol threats. That is something that worried her the most, cause if Kiro believed that deeply in the words Shiva spoke, than there was a powerful aura that Kiro could feel in the truth of Shiva's words.

"You have to be alright." She spoke aloud so the birds perched on the balcony above and below her could here her words.

Curling her fingers into fists, she leaned on the cold, metal railing that ran its way around the stone balcony. Her eyes searching, seeking to find something that fell past this dimension. Sighing, she pushed herself back up and walked through the doors into the living room again. She moved rapidly towards the door, picking up her shoes in the entrance hallway as she passed. Making sure the door was locked as she was instructed to do if she left, she quickly scurried down the hallway to the elevator placed at the end.

She bounced impatiently on the balls of her heels as she repeatedly pressed the 'down' button on the metal panel beside the doors.

"Come on dammit." She swore under her breath as the elevator took its sweet time to come up the shaft. The normal whining of the cables seeped through the large, beige colored doors as the box inside finally came to a stop. The doors began to open wide, revealing the inside of the elevator. She quickly entered and entered the one button combination to make the machine take her down to the ground floor.

The doors creaked shut, and the elevator took her downwards.

* * *

Cards were line out on the glass counter as Kiro, Chao and Huang continued to work on the deck.

The basic monsters were all still there as Kiro refused to change from them. Huang didn't understand as well as Chao did by what Kiro meant when he said; "I must use the weapons I have to the fullest of their potential. These are my strongest weapons." He was referring to four cards laid out on the glass table; Gravekeeper Kiro, Secret Spirit Guard – Hebanu, Secret Spirit Guard – Heruru and Secret Spirit Guard – Kooru.

They were showing cards to Kiro, seeing what he though of them and possible combinations he could make with them. Suggestions were thrown back and forth for a good deal of time before a card was decided upon. Then they would move on to other options.

They day was passing by swiftly. Huang had to stop every now and again to assist a customer, but soon enough the shop finally started to slim down until only the three working men at the glass counter remained.

Kiro placed another card down the counter next to the ones already decided upon for the deck, looking over all the options, he picked the card back up and set it off to the side, dissatisfied with how the card looked with the rest of the deck.

Not much was said outside of deck construction and card suggestions. The patter of cards being moved around seemed to bounce off the walls of the room like a never ending echo.

"Hmm." Huang rubbed his chin with his thumb and index finger. "We've been at this most of the day. What do ya say we take a break dudes?" He asked, walking around behind Kiro and Chao.

"Sure, that's fine with me. What about you Kiro?" Chao asked, patting Kiro on the shoulder. Sighing, Kiro agreed and the two boys followed the fat man out from behind the store counter.

On the side of the room was a large vending machine. Inserting some money, the machine spit out cans of soda one after the other. Turning, Huang tossed one of the cans to the silver haired boy who caught it effortlessly out of the air. The other can he tossed to Kiro, who also caught it effortlessly, but did it so fast that it was just a blur to Huang's eyes.

He found himself speechless as Kiro cracked open the top of the can, taking a deep drink from the liquid it held in its aluminum walls. Chao, noticing Huang was staring at his demon friend, decided to break the attention away from him.

"So do you think this deck we are building will be strong enough to beat anything?" He asked towards Huang, also cracking the top of his can of soda open. "I mean, if the rumors we've heard about this up and coming finalist are true, he is a tough customer."

"I think so." Huang said, still kind of looking at the green haired kid. His eyes quickly dropped to the can of soda he still held. With ease he also broke the seal on it and drank from it. "I mean, were putting together some really good cards, combos and strategies." His eyes drifted back over to Kiro. "And if this mysterious guy has done any research on you and your deck, you have plenty of ways to catch him off guard. I think that you'll do just fine if you keep on your game and don't let him rattle you."

_("Fat man is right.")_ Heruru agreed from the soul chamber in his head. _("Whoever this tenth tester is, as long as you play your game and not his, you'll be just fine I think.")_

_("Yes, I believe more and more that it was your destiny to finish these trials and release our spirits. Then we will be free once again.")_ Kooru stated from his place on the floor of the soul room. _("But yet…")_ Kooru's eyes closed as he talked. _("Your mind is still restless. You must clear your conscience before you stand a chance against this tenth tester.")_

"_Silence."_ Kiro growled. _"I will, I will."_

And at a point of pure coincidence, the door to the shop opened up wide. The bell rang through the shop, yelling out that someone had disturbed its peaceful slumber.

Kiro's eyes moved up to see who was entering the shop. Expecting some little kid to come in, he was surprised to see the tall, blond haired girl he had known for quite some time now. Behind the darkness of the shades, his eyes were widening with joy that she had actually come.

Slowly, he took a step towards her, followed by another from his other foot. He was moving across the length of the room, taking in every step, every foot fall on the hardwood floor.

Kaira's anger rose again as she saw Kiro in the room. She has come all this way to see him, yet she still felt anger towards him for what he had done to her the previous night. Clenching her fists, she prepared for him to break the silence between them with some 'about time you showed up' line that seemed so right to come from him.

Instead, he continued to walk up to her without a single word. He walked all the way up to her, reaching out, he wrapped his arms over her shoulders and puller her into a hug. "I'm so glad to see you again."

Kaira's eyes were wide, staring at Chao and Huang over Kiro's shoulder. Her anger had vanished from her body into the air around her. Her arms sat limp at her side as he continued to hug her. Twitching slightly, one of them came up and wrapped around Kiro's body as well, patting him on the back.

"I'm sorry." He said, finally pulling back from her. "I was wrong."

"…" Kaira's mouth hung open. Words she thought Kiro didn't even know the meaning to he had just used to apologize to her. His words were sincere and honest, she immediately believed them. What else could she do?

His gloved hand reaching up and gently petting up and down Kaira's neck where slight cuts remained from his fingers breaking her skin as he strangled her. His eyes met hers through the glasses. "I can't do this alone; I want you to be here with me when I face the final test."

Chao, whose hand had moved to his cheek where he also had cuts from where Kiro slugged him, and Huang just watched in silence. Chao, more so than Huang, was totally surprised at Kiro's new behavior. Ever since he had first met Kiro, he would have never said anything like that to anyone. These trials, this girl, had changed him.

"Meh, he's the only duelist I know that refers to a match as a test." Huang whispered under his breath to Chao. "I mean, it's still a game, you're there to have fun. What's the point in playing if you're not playing for fun?"

"This time, it's a little bit different." Chao replied, begging to walk across the room to the two friends of his that still stood in the doorway.

When he finally reached them, he saw that Kaira was smiling wide. Her eyes were filled with happiness and joy.

"Kiro…" She spoke softly, her words drifting off her pink lips into the air before her. "I want to be by your side too. I'll be there for you, that is why I've come here now."

"Yeah, and what of Deo?" Chao questioned as he made it to the group. Kaira's attention was drawn away from the demon before her to the silver haired kid that had joined the group.

"He went back to Katana's house shortly after you left to come here." Kaira responded. "He said that most likely they would meet us here in a little while. She thinks she knows where we are going to have to final tester duel."

"Well, if they are going to show up soon, we probably should get this deck of Kiro's finished, shouldn't we?" Chao said, turning and walking back to the glass counter where all of Kiro's cards still laid out on the table. Huang, Kaira, and Kiro followed him over to it.

The four of them began to work on the deck again. They quickly assembled the best deck that their four minds could come up with. Each card picked for a specific purpose, supporting the deck. In Kiro's hands, the stack of brown backed cards _felt_ powerful.

"Its ready, I'm ready." His eyes were resting on the backs of the cards in his gloved hands as he spoke. "Let's get this over with." He growled, turning towards the door.

"Yeah, can't wait." Huang threw in. "Though Chao promised me I could come and watch the finals. Let me lock up the store before we head out." Huang scuttled around the shop, flicking off lights and locking up things.

Kiro slowly inched his way over to Chao and gave him a hard elbow into the rib cage.

"You're letting him come and watch!" He whispered, pissed off at this sudden news. "Do you realize how stupid that move was? He's convinced that he is coming to watch the finals of some big tournament. In reality he's coming to watch a horrible game of life and death where someone will die, hopefully something will be released from my body, and a whole bunch of other magical things. Plus…" Kiro held up his hands to show the gloves. "…if he's there, I'll have to duel wearing these stupid things." Reaching out, he smacked Chao across the head.

"Ok, ok, sorry." Chao responded, rubbing the back of his head. "I'll just un-invite him." Chao sighed, "but you realize that he probably won't let you use the cards then if he can't come and watch."

"Fine." Kiro growled. Pulling off the sunglasses, Kiro looked towards Huang. "Hey human." Huang stopped in mid-step to look at Kiro. His first reaction was to slink back up against the closest wall.

"What is wrong with your eyes?" He screamed, his hands clawing at the walls as if he was trying to climb up it back wards. Or break through it and run.

"Nothing is wrong with them, this is natural now." Kiro said, shaking his head so his hair flew off in the gusts of wind created. His pointed ears becoming fully visible now that the hair obscurity was removed. Next he pulled off the yellow work gloves to reveal his black, ridged fingers. On his right hand still rested a torn and frayed leather glove with three orbs in it. "Something strange happened to me and I'm no longer human. I'm a demon of some sorts, wondering the earth."

Huang continued to claw the wall until he was out of energy. His legs giving out from under him he slid down the wall to the floor below. "Please, don't hurt me." His panic was obvious. He was terrified of Kiro.

"I'm not going to." Kiro growled, bearing his fangs. "I just can't duel with all that crap on. So it's better that you know me now than later when I'm trying to duel. These are the finals of a tournament alright." Kiro walked over to Huang and knelt down so he was staring face to face with the pudgy man. "A tournament centuries long, spanning across generation to generation. You understand, this isn't going to be your run of the mill finals. This is an all out war."

Huang nodded slowly, visibly shaking at the sight of Kiro.

The door to the shop opened, sending the familiar ringing noise through out the two room complex. In the doorway stood four familiar faces; Katana, Michi, Izumi, and Deo. When they entered the room, they saw Kiro looming over the crouching Huang in the corner of the room. Not entirely sure what was going on, they just stood there, waiting for an explanation.

"Hello." Kiro said, changing the subject and standing up. With a few quick strides he closed the gap between him and the four new comers to the shop. "I heard that you might have figured out where the final test is taking place. You must tell me now. And how do you even know?"

"I've been studying ancient scriptures I got the last time I was up at the temple. Within them I believe I found the location of the final test." Katana returned, reaching out and placing her hand on Kiro's shoulder. "It's the one thing that boggled me for a while. At first when reading it, I assumed it meant about after the trials are done. It talked about a 'new moon'. I've been working under the assumption that the moons dictated the trials, which is partially true. But as this is the tenth and final trial, the moon needs to become new again. This trial will be taking place while the moon resets. There will be no moon as it returns to normal. Win or lose, this will be the final night the moon will be in use for this sort of thing."

"That's great, but that still doesn't help me." Kiro growled, pushing her hand off his shoulder. "Now tell me where it is."

"Impatient aren't we?" Katana moved her hand back up to her face. She saw that involuntarily Kiro's rough skin had broken the skin, drawing small beads of blood. They were just small wounds, didn't even hurt. Shaking it off she looked back into the red eyes of Kiro. "The road most familiar to you."

"The road most familiar to him?" Kaira repeated, cocking an eyebrow. "Where is that?"

"Yeah, what road is most familiar to you?" Chao questioned, looking at Kiro who's eyes were locked on Katana.

"My home."

"Right." She nodded at Kiro as he figured it out. "Up on the temple is where the tenth test is going to be taking place. Or, by my reasoning anyways."

"It only makes logical sense." Kiro bowed his head, finally breaking the unblinking stare he had on her. "The temple is where Kooru's, Heruru's and Hebanu's bodies are buried. To hold the test there, closest to the point of revival, would make it that much easier I would think." Kiro theorized as he began to walk out the door of the card shop. Everyone in the shop followed behind him, even Huang who sank along in the back with no clue now why he was coming.

He led them like a general leading a rag-tag group of soldiers. Likewise, they marched on behind him in complete silence.

Day was on the verge of giving way to night. Kiro stopped at the base of the mountain at the stone-carved stairs that led upwards to his house. Warning signs marked the trail side to keep unwanted visitors away.

"Well, this is it." Kiro turned to face the rather large group behind him. "This is where it ends, win or lose, this is done tonight!" Clenching his black claws into tight-balled fists, Kiro turned to look back up the mountain side. "And I refuse to lose."

"We're behind you." Chao placed his hand on Kiro's shoulder. "We're not about to back out now, none of us." With a quick glance over his shoulder at Huang who was still quivering in the back of the group, he continued to talk. "Now let's get up there and kick some ass, shall we?"

"Yeah." Kaira ran up on the other side of Kiro. "Let's all get up there and get this over with so this madness can end." Her eyes got wide as she looked at Kiro. "It about time this ends so life as we know it can return to normal."

"Alright then." Kiro nodded, turning and placing his right foot on the first stair. _"I've climbed this path so many times in my life, never any different from the time before. This time though, it so much different. Nothing about it seems to be the same."_ He paused, looking down at the white tennis shoe on his foot. He could see it sitting there on the first step of the staircase to destiny. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the group of people behind him still, all smiling, all waiting for him to continue his journey up the hill. "Here I go." And with that, he began to climb the stairs. The rest of the group following behind him silently, no one moving any faster than their leader. Even Huang, who was bringing up the rear, still followed.

The wind blew gently through the night air. This would be the last breeze Kiro was hoping to feel with the three spirits in his body. Win or lose, it would be the last. He'd either be free to feel the wind, the rain, and the sun for many days to come, or he'd never feel them again, being put six feet under.

His hand reached into his pocket, pulling out the brown backed stack of cards. Holding them in his hand as he walked, he stared intently at the back of them. Here was the key he needed, here is the thing he was going to need to finally put an end to all of this. He hoped it was as powerful as it felt, able to take out anything this tenth tester threw at him.

That brought Kiro's mind to another question; what would this tenth tester use against him? Some of the testers decks had been serious deck, filled with powerful cards and great tactics. Others, just were plain weird, but proved to have tons of power in them, more than Kiro realized that type of monster could have. Though, with the way Shiva was speaking of this guy, it sounded like his deck was the most horrid, vile set of cards Kiro would ever lay eyes on.

Holding up his left hand with his duel disk on it, he slid the deck into the slot effortlessly, the bells and whistles of the device lighting up as it activated. Out of the glass sensors on the front of the white wrist gadget the pure light dueling plate appeared.

_("Ready Kiro?")_ Hebanu asked from the inner chamber of Kiro's mind. Kiro nodded back; 'yes' _("This will be the finial test. We've come so far. I'm actually really, really excited.")_

_("Aye, me too.")_ Kooru agreed. _("This has been going on far too long. I can't believe that I'm actually anxious to get to this duel.")_

_("Yeah, Mr. "Never loses my cool".)_ Heruru snickered, slapping Kooru on the back as he walked up next to him. Looking forward and up at the 'ceiling' of the mind chamber, he continued to speak. _("We're here too Kiro and we all are ready to see this. This is what it's come to, the final fight of your destiny. No mater what, remember what your fighting for.")_

"_Well, as you're going now, so I never have to hear a pep talk from you again."_ Kiro snickered as Heruru face fell.

The group of eight dawned over the overhang of the side of the crater which Kiro lived. Standing there, in the middle of the opening was a black robed figure. Kiro walked down into the crater and stood opposite of the figure, silent, as the rest of the group wondered up behind him.

"You've made it Kiro Rinku." The figure spoke, their raspy voice hiding their gender. Its cloak blew with the wind, as well as a cloud of sand and dust rushing past. "I have to admit, when Andron wished to start the trials for you, I had my doubts if you'd be able to make it this far."

"I knew I would." Kiro's voice was calm, composed. "I knew, because I have the determination to. Nothing can get the best of me." His eyes narrowed as he looked upon the figure. "Nothing."

"Your determination is astounding to say the least." The figure nodded. "You've overcome every obstacle in you path, random, pointless, challenging, or over all; impossible, you still found a way to get over it. And if couldn't find a way over it, you made a way."

"Your praise is flattering and all, but can we get on with this?" Kiro cocked an eyebrow at the figure. "I, as well as all three of these demons, am growing impatient with waiting. We are ready to get this over with."

"Very well then." The figure turned to the large temple in the middle of the area. "There." He pointed with a black gloved index finger at the roof of the stone building. "The ancient battle ground is there, above the bodies of three said spirits."

And with that said, the entire group of people vanished into a flux in space and time. Appearing on top of the building, the lot of them looked around at the view they had from such a altitude. Kiro made his way over to one end of the temple where a strange, square brick design was on the ground. Turning, he held up his left arm and placed his right finger tips on the top card.

"Well, come on. Its time to do this." He spoke to the robed figure, waiting for him to move to the opposite side of the roof.

"Your right, let's get this started." It agreed, placing its black gloved hand on Deo's shoulder. "Do you best."

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The final test. We've made it this far! Keep watching as the finals of this 'tournament' unfold into the conclusion of this story.  
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	44. Trial of the Tenth

Chapter 44: Trial of the Tenth

Kiro stared at the robed figure, wondering what the hell it was doing. Deo looked up at the robed person that stood next to him, nodded slightly, and began to slowly walk towards the opposite end of the roof.

"What the hell are you doing Deo?" Kiro screamed at the young kid as he made is way over the stone roof. "This is no place for young kids to be playing."

"From now on Kiro Rinku," Deo's voice became suddenly darker, deeper, and crueler, "you'll refer to me as Deodatus, the tester of the new moon."

"You... you're the tenth tester!" Kiro's jaw began to slid slowly open. "But, he, you, what…" Kiro began to ramble, his finger swinging back and forth between the young kid and the robed figure that stood on the side lines. "Then wait, who are you?"

"I," the robed figured placed its black hand on its chest, "am the guardian of the lock the tri-key is used in to finally unlock the spirits from your body Kiro Rinku. I am no more than an observer now, duel Deodatus and prove to me that you have grown enough to withstand the soul tearing assault that will take place during the separation."

"Kiro, pay attention!" Deo snapped the green haired demon's attention back to him. "I will not be held up, you understand me." Deo's personality had pulled a 180. The kind, sweet, innocent boy they had come to know was completely gone. This boy had slotted eyes, a cold smirk on his face, and a disturbing aura encasing his body. Holding up his left arm, a black duel disk appeared, identical to Kiro's. Where Kiro's made a panel of light, Deo's made a panel of pure darkness.

"Deo." Kiro growled at the young boy, forgetting for a split second he was a tester. Dawning on him that this was the man who was going to determine the fate of Kiro's future, he let his voice soften. "Alright, let's do this, but do not get to ordering me around, got it?"

"I'll do as I please." Deo pulled out a deck of Duel Monsters cards and began to shuffle it. "I look forward to seeing how well you prepared your deck, I know you've worked hard on it today, which is why I was absent at the card shop. I like to see what surprises you have in store for me." With a flick of his wrist the deck was placed in the duel disk. "I've been watching you for a long time now, and you've grown a lot. I knew from the very beginning you would show great potential. After managing to get through the first two tests, I knew you'd be the one. I disguised myself as a young, lost boy who just happened to follow you. I'm almost surprised none of you seconded guess my sudden appearance."

"I guess we had a lot on our minds." Kiro shrugged, pulling the top five cards from their place on his deck.

"Yes, much more than you should have. A complete spy stood next to you, and no one was the wiser." Deo, one at a time, pulled five cards off his deck. Without even looking at them, he pulled the sixth card off his deck and snapped it through the air. "I start. DUEL!"

Kiro-8000 LP  
Deodatus-8000 LP

Kiro's eyes widened as he saw the life point scores. Deo, seeing this, began to explain. "As we are in the final test, we shall see how good you really are. An additional 3000 life points has been awarded to the both of us. More to live on, but more you must take away from your opponent."

"Fine, I'll still win no matter what." Kiro let his duel disk slide down to his side as he spoke. "Now on with this."

"Very well, I start by playing a continuous magic card." Deo pulled one of the six cards in his hand and held it for off to his right side.

Kiro's eyes narrowed at the card that rested between his fingers. _"What kind of card is it? It must be something of increadable strength, devastating my life, my deck. Or…"_ Kiro eyes widened as he watched Deo slowly move the card towards the black plate on his duel disk. _"…what if it summons an unbeatable monster!"_

"The magic card;…." The card was pulled into the magic/trap card port on the duel disk as Deo spoke. Rainbow colored lights and lines shot across the surface of the duel disk. The tension was building incredibly inside of Kiro, he felt as if it would rip him apart if he had to wait any longer. "Chessboard."

"WHAT!" Kiro screamed as a holographic representation appeared on the field next to the young, green eyed boy. From the hologram shot out a black and white square that placed themselves down on the field before the magic card. Within seconds, the two colored blocks began to multiply, rotating colors as they did. The blocks spread all the way across the field till right before Kiro's feet and stretched out far past the end of the roof of the temple. It was now a board, a board used to play the ancient game of kings and queens; a chess board.

"It seems my magic card took you by surprise Kiro Rinku. It is no more than a simple card that has two effects, one I shall reveal later in the duel, the first I'll use right now." Deo exclaimed, pulling one of the other cards in his hand out and slapping it down on the duel plate. "When Chessboard is first played on the field it lets me special summon one of three monsters if one of them is in my hand. This one is so I'll summon it to the field at this time. Come out, Pawn Soldier (800/800)!"

Before the brown haired kid a small creature that looked like a standard game piece appeared on the field. Its marble surface reflected against itself, creating a swirl of black and white color. Its large base rested on the field before Deo, slimming out as it went up its neck till it reached the top of the piece which had a orb placed on it. Just a standard looking pawn game piece.

Kiro was still speechless; he was expecting large, seventeen headed beasts and terrible damage dealt to him in one turn. Instead; a game board and an 800 attack and defense normal monster card stood in his way.

"I also set these two cards face down on my field." Deo announced as one at a time he pulled two more cards from his hand and slid them into his duel disk. The brown back image appeared next to his continuous magic card. This move used all but two cards in his first hand, but still seeing this, Kiro still was lost. "I end my turn there Kiro Rinku. Come at me with full force, or you will lose terribly."

"WHAT THE HELL!" Kiro screamed. Snapping his hand out he pointed to the small, marble game piece that stood before him. "What kind of monster is that? Where is the 'super powerful and terrible deck' that was going to beat the living snot out of me?"

"Kiro doesn't quite get it." Huang whispered to the group around him, his shaking finally stopped once the duel had begun. "I've heard of these cards. The Chess cards are rare by our standards; even I've never laid my hands on a physical one."

"But that Pawn's Soldier doesn't seem all the impressive to me. I mean, a normal monster with only 800 attack and defense points doesn't usually put up that great of a fight." Kaira responded, looking at the overweight man behind her than shifting her head back to the battle field.

"But not always are things as they seem." Chao placed his chin in-between his thumb and his index finger. "He has two set cards, that could spell trouble if they are something very powerful. It could make his Pawn's Soldier incredibly strong." Chao's eyes narrowed as he looked at the continuous magic card that also rested on Deo's field. "And he did say that Chessboard has a second effect that he would use later. What kind of effect could it have I wonder?"

"Fine, you want to lose, I'll be glad to make it happen for you." Kiro snapped at Deo's silence. He pulled the top card off his deck and slid it into the middle of all the cards in his hand. Pulling out the card right next to the on he added, he slapped it down onto his duel disk. "I summon Gravekeeper Kiro in face-up attack mode (1800/1100)."

The shirtless monster that was Kiro's basic design appeared on the field before its master. Its tan skin showed its Egyptian heritage, his black material pants showed he was a Gravekeeper. Flexing its muscles, the monster snarled at the opponent. Around him, the large stone walls of its home began to appear. Towering up around them, the Necrovalley appeared as per the effect of Kiro's monster. The floor of the valley was black and white checkered because Chessboard was still in play. (2300/1600)

"Gravekeeper Kiro allows me to play Necrovalley from my deck." Kiro exclaimed as he was shuffling his deck in his hands. A flick of his wrist he placed the stack of cards back into his white dueling gadget. "Which also increases his attack and defense strength by 500 more points. You see Deo, this is what a real monster looks like. Attack his game piece now my monster!" Kiro bellowed, snapping his hand towards the monster on Deo's field. The monster sprang forward on the ground of the valley. Charging at full speed it smashed its fist into the ball that rested on top of the pawn. Within seconds, Deo's monster had blasted apart into dull data fragments.

Kiro-8000 LP  
Deodatus-6500 LP

"First off; don't call me Deo. My name is Deodatus and you'd be best to not forget it." Deo growled, pointing to one of his set cards on his side of the field. "Second off, you're the idiot that walked into this set of traps. Open set card: Cross-Check!" One of the two set cards on Deo's field flipped starting to glow instantly. From it, a blast of light shot forward towards Kiro, engulfing him within seconds.

Kiro-6500 LP  
Deodatus-6500 LP

"Cross-Check works when I take battle damage, it makes you take the same amount of damage that I just received. So you know what it feels like now." Deo explained as he slid the card into his own graveyard slot.

"So what?" Kiro growled, his right hand resting on his chest as he spoke. Smoke plumbs were visibly floating off his clothing and skin. The attack had hurt him worse than he was willing to admit. "Gravekeeper Kiro comes with a second effect; it deals you 200 more points of damage for every Gravekeeper on my field, including himself."

Kiro-6500 LP  
Deodatus-6300 LP

"Is that all?" Deo asked, looking down at the wrist gadget on his arm, his green eyes laid on the white numbers that were his life point score. He wasn't worried though.

"Not yet." Kiro growled, pulling one more card from his hand and sliding it in behind his monster on the field. "I set this card face-down on my side of the field. That is where my turn ends." Inches from his feet appeared a brown backed card hologram representing the card he just laid down on the field.

"Good." Deo exclaimed, placing his fingers on the top card of his deck. "Cause it's about time I took this game up a notch, don't you agree? Draw!" After sliding the top card off his deck his right hand moved to the side of his duel disk. "Remember when I said my Chessboard had a second effect? Well it goes into effect right now. During my standby phase I may special summon one Pawn's Soldier from my graveyard to the field, it just can't be offered as a tribute on this turn." And with that, the marbled colored game piece appeared on the field before Deo once again. This time a yellow bordered card appeared beneath it showing it was brought back in defense mode.

"Wait!" Kiro exclaimed, pointing to the newly summoned monster. "Necrovalley seals your graveyard off completely! How did you bring it back, that goes against the rules of my card."

"Oh, silly me." Deo looked totally innocent as he placed his fingers on the tops of the three cards he still held in his hand. "Chessboards second effect is so powerful that is works no matter the condition of the field. As in, during my standby phase, it is treated like the only card on the field, negating your Necrovalley and all other face-up cards on the field. Now then…"

He grabbed one of the three cards that still remained in his hand and slid it into his duel disk next to his Chessboard magic card. Kiro snarled slightly as he saw another continuous magic card appear on Deo's field.

"I play the magic card; Quiet Move! For each turn I end my turn without conducting a battle with a face-up monster named on the card, I get to draw one card from my deck, and send another card from my hand back to my deck." Deo pointed to his pawn that rested on his field. "All of my chess pieces are listed on the Quiet Move magic card, so because I won't attack with my pawn, I'll get to replenish my hand." Whipping his hand off to the side, Deo smirked darkly. "I end my turn." And with that he pulled the top card off his deck and glanced at its face. A dark smirk creased across his face as he added it to his hand. Taking another card from his hand he slid it on top of his deck and began to shuffle it.

"Whatever you draw won't help you." Kiro snapped the top card off his own deck. "It's my destiny to deafeat you and release these demons from my body. I cannot be overcome by some stupid game pieces." Taking the card he just drew he slapped it down onto his duel disk. "I sacrifice my Gravekeeper Kiro in order to summon out my Gravekeeper's Chief (1900/1200) (2400/1700)."

Kiro's avatar monster vanished in a ripple of the air around it. In its spot appeared the chief of all the Gravekeeper's. A white and black robe fell down over the body of the Egyptian warrior monster. In his tan hands was a long, golden snake staff it twirled around is if it were feather light. Next to the Chief appeared once again, Gravekeeper Kiro.

"My chief, when he is tribute summon, brings back on Gravekeeper from my graveyard. I chose to bring back myself." Krio explained, his two power house monster staring down the field at Deo. "Looks like Shiva made me paranoid for nothing. Go Gravekeeper Kiro, attack his pawn creature now!"

Again, Kiro's monster began to charge across the field to destroy Deo's defending monster. Winding back its fist, it came inches from the monster before it stopped dead in its tracks.

"I've triggered my set trap card." Deo exclaimed, pointing to the flipped up trap card on his field. "Its called Pawn Island and it works when a Pawn's Soldier is attacked. I get to pull all of my monsters with Pawn's Soldier from my deck and place them on the field."

Next to the first marble colored monster, Deo's other two identical monsters appeared, all three of them in defense mode.

"I don't care how many of them you line up." Kiro snapped his arm out towards the line of game pieces. "I'll continue to knock them down. Gravekeeper's Chief, Gravekeeper Kiro. ATTACK!"

"Would you even like to know what else my trap card did?" Deo asked cocking an eyebrow at Kiro.

"Not really, no." Kiro frowned at Deo's interruption.

The Egyptian Chief monster snapped its staff off to it sides, twirled it around between its fingers, then snapped it down so the cobra head was aimed directly at one of the monsters defending themselves on Deo's field. With a blast of energy, gold colored light shot off the end. Barreling across the field, the beam pierced right through one of the monsters just as Gravekeeper Kiro's fist cracked into the orb sitting at the top of the game piece. A loud explosion rang over the temple walls as the two game pieces exploded.

Kiro-6500 LP  
Deodatus-9600 LP

Kiro narrowed his eyes as his avatar monster landed on the field next to his Gravekeeper's Chief. "How in the hell did you gain life points?"

"You shouldn't be so rash to run into battle like that." Deo waved a finger in the air like a mother punishing a young child. "You see, Pawn Island comes with a second effect. For every monster sent to the graveyard on the turn the card is activated, I gain life points equal to the defense points of the monster that killed it." Holding up his duel disk to show Kiro the wrist gadget, Deo smirked darkly. "That's 1700 from your Chief, and 1600 from yourself. Thirty-three hundred life points is not bad at all. Of course I lose 400 due to your monsters effect."

Kiro-6500 LP  
Deodatus-9200 LP

Growling at the sudden jump up in Deo's life, Kiro clenched his fist into a tight ball. His eyes scanned over every card in his hand to see what kind of options he had. Looking back up, he studied the field before him. He had two monsters, his field magic card; Necrovalley and a set card, while his opponent had two face-up continuous magic cards and one defending vanilla monster.

"I end my turn." He announced, letting his arms drop down to his side. "Bring it on, what ever kind of 'power' you have."

"Very well. Draw." Deo slid the top card off his deck and added it to his hand. His card title Chessboard began to glow with radiant light, producing one of his Pawn's back onto his field. "My Chessboard brings back another Pawn's Soldier in face-up defense mode. But that is only the first step." Deo slashed one of the three cards in his hand around through the air and slapped it down on his duel disk. "I sacrifice my first Pawn's Soldier since it's officially been on the field for a turn now, to summon out; Knight's Hero (2300/1500)."

Vanishing in a ripple of light, one of the marble colored pawns was offered for a tribute. In its place a large, marble carved horse appeared. Like the pawns, its coloring was a mix between black and white, swirled into a mess of colors. It produced a horse like neighing sound as it stood on the field next to the pawn.

"I set one of my cards on the field face down." Deo continued to explain as he slid one of the two remaining cards in his hand into his duel disk, the representation appeared on the field behind his newly summoned horse. "And activate this magic card; Card of Sanctity!"

With that, the green boardered card appeared on Deo's field, glowing with the familiar white, radiant light that all cards produce when being activated.

"This card lets us both draw until we are holding six cards in our hand." Holding up his empty left hand, he showed that he had the potential to draw six new cards. He did just that, one at a time pulling the cards off his deck.

Kiro slid only two cards off his deck to add to his hand of four to make the six cards. Looking at the fresh cards, Kiro began to see what else he could do to counter attack against Deo's onslaught.

"What a good hand." Deo exclaimed as his eyes peered at each card he was now holding. "All so very good, but could be better yet. I set this one face down." With a tornado of sparkling lights a brown backed card appeared on Deo's field next to the one he just played earlier in the turn. "And end my turn. Since no battle was conducted on this turn, I get to draw a new card from my deck and shuffle a card from my hand into my deck. Thanks of course, to my Quiet Move magic card."

The continuous card on his field began to glow as he pulled the top card off his deck and added it to his hand. Looking around as if he was rating the cards he held, he grabbed one at the far end and placed it back on top of his deck. Pulling his deck out he gave it a few quick shuffled before sliding it back into its slot on his black dueling device.

"_WHY?_" Kiro screamed in his head as he looked at the field. _"Why am I struggling so bad to defeat him? He hasn't play a single card that has been truly devastating to me, a bit of life point draining and gaining, sorting through his deck, but nothing all powerful."_ Kiro's eyes narrowed at the 2300 attack point horse that now stood on his field. _"And why summon that and then not attack with it? He could have taken out my Gravekeeper Kiro and stopped some burn damage on him, but he chose to pick another card from his deck instead. What is he building up?"_

Kiro drew the top card off his deck and looked at its face. Sliding it into his hand of cards he pulled out one of the two cards he had drawn with Deo's Card of Sanctity. Sliding the card into his duel disk he smiled at Deo, though the smile was far from pleasant and was not meant to be received in a peaceful way.

"I activate one of the magic cards you handed to me yourself. Black Poison of Snakes!" The card was inserted into the duel disk, sending a rainbow of colors shooting around the perimeter as it read the card. "This card with bolster the attack of my Gravekeeper Chief to do some major damage to you, Deo."

"Deodatus." Deo growled his brow narrowing. "I don't care how high and mighty you think you are, you will respect me by calling me the name I tell you to call me Kiro Rinku."

"Fine, I'll call you Deodatus, if you start to refer to me by my first name as well. Show me the same respect and treat me like another living being than an item, like you do calling me by my given name and my surname."

"Very well, Kiro." Deo smiled, like the Deo they all used to know. Within his smile was the same child like innocents that was familiar to them all. The innocents Deo had before he started doing this whole trial thing. For a moment in time, the familiar smile that flickered across his lips took them all back to a happier time than now.

"Alright then, Deodatus." Kiro nodded to the brown haired tester. "On with what I was saying." Lifting his arm up wards, Kiro had a large pillar made of shadows rise out of the ground behind him and tower over him and the field. On the top of the black tower, two blood red eyes could be seen on the sides. They glared down the field to the game pieces that stood on Deo's field. "Black Poison of Snakes is a magic card then lets me chose one monster on my field, and I chose my Gravekeeper Chief. In this turn now, if my Chief destroys any monster in battle, at my end phase that monster is coming to my side of the field."

The tower began to distort, warping in the space behind Kiro. Bursting out into strands of solid black it started to swirl around the dueling field. Rushing through the air, the streamers of darkness crashed into the golden staff of the Gravekeeper. Slowly changing the color of the tool from its shining, golden surface into a light consuming darkness. Malice began to show in the Gravekeeper's eye as he watched as the last of the darkness was absorbed into the staff. With ease he continued to twirl the staff through his fingers.

"So you plan to take control of one of my monsters?" Deo cocked an eyebrow. He continued to watch the black baton in the hands of the Egyptian monster as it was twirled around in his fingers. "Let me tell you something Kiro, I value all of my cards to much to let you simply take one and try to use it against me."

"Right…" Kiro's eyes slid down slightly as he wondered if Deo was telling the truth. This was something he learned in the trials, value your cards. Use each of them to their fullest potential in order to win. "But that isn't going to stop me from trying now is it? Go Gravekeerper's Chief! Attack his Knight's Hero now, Black Poison Blast!"

Launching himself high into the air, the tan Egyptian man snapped the staff in his hands down towards the marble carved horse piece. Smirking, the Chief made a beam of solid darkness shoot off the tip of the staff, rushing through the air at tremendous speed towards the horse.

"Well, I'll credit you that it was a good idea for a move." Deo waved his right hand casually through the air. "Instead of just destroying my monster, you were planning to get another one on your field. Not bad, but not happening as long as I have a say in this still. Open set trap card! L-Shaped Maneuver!"

"What!" Kiro's eyes widened as the trap card flipped up on Deo's field. It began to glow, showering the Knight's Hero in a rain of golden light.

As the blast hurdled through the air, the Knight's Hero simply vanished into thin air, appearing in a different place on Deo's field. The blast of black energy crashing harmlessly into the checkered colored floor of the valley, sending smoke billowing out on Deo's side of the field, but missing its intended target completely.

"As you probably guessed, L-Shaped Maneuver allowed my monster to avoid your attack." Deo explained, holding up the purple bordered cards before sliding it into his graveyard slot. "It works when ever a Knight's Hero becomes the target of an attack. It negates that attack and ends your turn instantly, making it my move now."

Kiro growled as Deo placed his fingers on the top card of his deck. His plan had just backfired on him, leaving him with nothing more than he had going into this turn. His Egyptian monster landed again on the field next to his Gravekeeper Kiro that already rested there, his snake staff being back to its normal golden color with the expiration of the normal magic card Kiro used on it.

"I draw first, and because my Chessboard is still face up on my field, it will again negate all other cards on the field but itself so I get back another Pawn's Soldier in face-up defense mode." Once again, the marble pawn piece appeared on Deo's field with an up rush of light. Deo, though, wasn't interested in it at the moment. "Now its time to do some major damage to you and to show you that whatever your destiny is, you cannot beat me!" From his duel disk he picked up one of his Pawn's Soldiers and his Knight's Hero. Flipping them around in his hand so Kiro could see them, Deo smirked as they were placed one at a time into the graveyard slot. "I made a double offering, sacrificing both a Pawn's Soldier and my Knight's Hero in order to summon out the ultimate Chess piece! Rise up in all your glory; King's Lord (2900/2450)!"

Blasts of yellow light surrounded the two game icons as they were offered to bring forth an even greater power. Spinning and swirling, the columns of light began to intertwine, swirling together to form one solid pillar of yellow light. Bursting outwards, the light pillar shattered leaving a large, marble carved figured standing on Deo's field. It towered higher than any other piece that Kiro had seen in this duel. It started with a circular platform for it to sit on, running up a smooth neck to the top which was plumbed outwards creating a cup like look. Ridged points on the top made it appear to be as if it was a crown. Dead center in the middle of the head of the monster was a large, carved cross.

"Go King's Lord! Show him some real power!" Deo cried, snapping his arm out towards the Gravekeeper's Chief. "Checkmate Blast!" And with that, the cross at the top of the monster began to glow, swirling with white and black light. Collecting together, the streams of energy grew into a solid ball of light and darkness, blasting forward in a destructive beam that engulfed the waiting chief.

Kiro had to shield his eyes as his monster was blasted apart by the incredible force. The fragments of data that he was so used to monsters sending out when they were destroyed were now sharp as glass and red hot. It burned his flesh, tore his clothing and brought him to his knees.

Kiro-6000 LP  
Deodatus-9200 LP

"This by far has been too easy Kiro." Deo waved his hand around his body as he spoke. "Did you not pay any attention to what Shiva said at all? I defeated him, I defeated Andron, I defeated Salacia, Iah, Gallus, Hachiro, Liat, Nori and Daiki. None of them could get even remotely close to beating me. The only damage that was ever inflicted on me, was like what you did where I let you damage me so I could damage you in return. And look now," Deo held up his black duel disk. "I'm 1200 points higher than when we began this duel. Come on now; don't tell me that this is all the power you can muster."

"I can, and will, muster up all the power I need to defeat you." Kiro growled through his clenched teeth. He was breathing hard as he knelt on the checkered floor of the dueling arena. His red eyes burning with passion and rage that contributed to his overall determination.

The group of people standing off to the side watched as Kiro slowly pulled himself up, standing on wobbly legs. The scene was tense for everyone. Kiro's will to not give up sparked their belief in him. He could do it. If he couldn't find a way, he would make one. With his teeth still clenched, Kiro yelled out with his rage;

"And you will fall!"

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Special thanks: This thanks goes out to a friend of mine who was the original one to come up with the idea for Deo's deck. All the names belong to him, and I must thank him for letting me use them for this duel. The effects were a combination effort between us. So thanks again Bryon Youngblood.

Don't forget to comment. Always love to hear from you, the fans.  
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	45. Trial of the Tenth Pt 2

Chapter 45: Trial of the Tenth Part 2

Kiro's red eyes heated with the intensity he was feeling burning in his soul. He glared skyward towards the towering King's Lord that had just been summoned and had just blasted his Gravekeeper's Chief off the field. His fingers clenched into a tight fisted ball as he started at his new foe.

"Hurry up and end your turn already, I've got moves to make that will bring you, and your lord, down." Kiro snarled, holding up his left hand to show the six cards he held to emphasize his point.

"Very well then, but there is something you will probably want to know." Deo pointed to his large king monster. "I end my turn, triggering the special ability of my monster to summon out one of these bad boys." Next to the king monster appeared a small, pawn looking game piece. Its marble body though was yellow and blue swirled together instead of black and white. On top of the orb that rested on the neck of the game piece was carved a large cross, just like King's Lord had. "It summons a Pawn Token (0/0) to my field in defense mode."

"I don't care." Kiro growled. "I'll take it out just the same. Draw!" And with that he snapped the top card off his deck and added it to the cards he already held. Snapping one of the other cards was already there he slapped it down on his duel disk horizontally. "I first shall summon my Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier (1500/1000) in face-up defense mode."

The Egyptian warrior appeared on the field crouching over and laying its spear out before it to ward off any oncoming assaults. Its face turned upwards to stare at Deo, the wrinkles that were present there made the monster look weathered and battle torn. It had survived many a battle with Kiro, and it planed to get through this one as well. The power of his home infusing into him on his arrival (2000/1500).

"Next comes the magic card; Gravekeeper's Muscle Burst!" Kiro cried out, flipping the card out of his hand to show Deo, then smoothly sliding it into his duel disk. It appeared on the field in holographic form next to the set card Kiro still had there. "This card doubles the attack strength of one Gravekeeper I chose. And for this turn, I'll choose: Gravekeeper Kiro (4600/1600). Attack his King's Lord now! Gravekeeper Fist!"

The muscles of the tan Kiro looked as if they would bulge out of his skin. They had grown so massively large with the magic card that he looked as if a small flick from his finger would send you around the world. Springing off the ground, he launched himself through the air at the King, winding his fist back to deliver a devastating blow.

"I have to say, I'll give you the credit you deserve for a move like that." Deo smiled as the attack came closer and closer to his game piece. "However, just like in the real game of chess, I don't let my King be destroyed that easy. Trap card open! Luft!"

"Luft?" Kiro cocked an eyebrow at the trap card. He never really had seen any of them before, but most of them had understandable names. This one though had a picture of a blast of energy bouncing around a image of the King's Lord. At the division of the energy blast was a small Pawn's Soldier.

"Yes. I use my trap card Luft to sacrifice one Pawn's Soldier to negate any attack on my King's Lord." The normal trap faded off the field, sending a purple mist around the small, marble skinned pawn. With a burst of energy, the pawn had launched itself upwards and intercepted the oncoming strike from Gravekeeper Kiro. Cracking under the pressure, the pawn shattered into small pieces, rushing back over Deo's head and landing harmlessly on the checkered ground of the valley.

"So you found another way to negate my attack." Kiro growled through his clenched teeth, his right hand closed into a fist. "How many ways do you have to save yourself in that deck of yours?"

"You don't want to know." Deo smirked, holding up his duel disk, but Kiro's eyes instantly focused on the deck of cards that was resting in the deck holder. "But I've use this deck for centuries. This is the deck that won me rightful place here, at the top of the testers. Overcoming every one of the other testers' petty tricks and tactics." His eyes narrowed as a cold smirk dawn his face. "And you struggled your way through each and every one of them. That is why I'm almost certain that you don't stand a chance against me at your current level of play. Give up now, and your death will be swift."

"Deodatus." Kiro closed his eyes, a chuckled floated past his open lips at the strange humor he found in Deo's last statement. "For as long as you've been hanging around me, having you figured this out yet? I…don't….give….up." Kiro eyes snapped open and he slid another card out of his hand. "So I don't care how powerful you think you are, I'm not going to give in to you just like that. I set this card face down on my field and end my turn." The brown backed card rippled into existence next to its inactive brother.

"_Two set cards huh?"_ Deo looked at it as the beeping noise echoed through the valley indicating that the magic of Gravekeeper's Muscle Burst had worn off of Kiro's monster (2300/1600). _"When I attacked earlier, he didn't activate the first set one, so it must not be anything to worry about. Probably to situational to be used at this time anyways."_ Placing his fingers on the top card of his deck he slowly pulled it off and flipped it over to glance at its face.

His Chessboard that was below him feet began to shine in a rainbow of lights. On the field before him appeared one of his Pawn's Soldiers again. Deo's eyes drifted to the newly summoned creature and smiled. The drawn card then suddenly found itself in one of the monster zones on the pure black energy duel disk

"My Chessboard summons back my Pawn's Soldier (800/800) in defense mode, and now I summon my Bishop's Mage, attack mode (1600/1200)!" Before the brown haired tester appeared a tall, pointed, marble bishop. Like all the other pieces, its black and white skin shined with brilliance as it arrived on the field. "You see now, my Bishop's Mage gains 200 more attack points for every magic card played on the field. So be cautious to not use any magic you don't need to. But as for me, I'll be using the magic of my Black Paneled Square card."

Pulling the titled card out of his hand, Deo slid it into his duel disk behind the newly summoned Chess piece. It appeared briefly on the field, showing a chess board with the center of the image being one of the black squares. Vanishing, it became light energy that was transferred to the tall, slender game piece (1800/1200).

"Black Paneled Square can only work when I have a face-up Bishop's Mage on my field. This Mage can't attack this turn, but I get to destroy any one face-down card on the field I chose." Lifting his hand, he pointed with his finger to the newly set card on Kiro's field. "And I chose your newly set magic or trap card."

The newly set card shattered instantly. Kiro growled when he looked at its face. It was going to help him a lot here shortly, had it not just been struck down in its prime. The title of the card was Sakuretsu Armor, a trap that would destroy any attacking monster on the spot.

"My next task is to take care of your little field that is in my way." Deo pulled another card out of his hand and placed it into his duel disk. "This card is the opposite of my Black Paneled Square. White Paneled Square works when I have a face up Bishops Mage on the field as well, destroying any face-up card on the field." Appearing as the card was inserted into the duel disk, the magic card showed the same thing as the Black Paneled Square, but this time the focus was one of the white panels. Vanishing into the air, its energy surged into the slender game piece (2000/1200). "Destroy Necrovalley my magic card!"

The large stone walls that had encased them for the entire length of the duel started to shake and crumble apart. Boulders rained down as the mighty walls were toppled by a simple magic card. (Gravekeeper Kiro 1800/1100)(Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier 1500/1000)

"You're lucky my Bishop's Mage can't attack this turn, but I think I'll bring back an old friend for you to get acquainted with." Pulling the middle card out of his hand of three, Deo slid it into his duel disk. "I play my magic card; Crossing the Great Divide. I can only play this to sacrifice one face-up Pawn's Soldier in order to summon back one of my chess pieces that rests in the graveyard. I choose; Knight's Hero (2300/1500)."

The hologram of the newly played magic card vanished into the air, streams of energy seeping into the Bishop's Mage as its power activated (2200/1200). Next to the Bishop, the small Pawn game piece vanished into the air, being replaced by the marble carved horse head from earlier in the game. Neighing with its reappearance, it turned to face Kiro.

"As per the rules in Chess, if I could manage to get one of my pawns' across 'the great divide', I could trade him in for one of my captured pieces. Here, I traded my pawn to pull back a much more useful piece." Deo smirked as he pointed towards his growing field of monsters. "And the effect of my Knight's Hero is going to devastate you. You see, when you have two or more monsters on your field, my Knight can attack up to two monsters on this turn. I think this is an ample time to do just that." His arm snapped out so he was pointing menacingly at Krio's only two monsters.

"Well, you won't be touching my life this turn then." Kiro whipped his arm down to the set card on his field. With a blast of dark colored smoke that rushed out from under it, it flipped up and began to activate. "This trap is both a trap and a monster; Dead Spirit Zoma!"

From the card image appeared a small, curled up purple demonic monster. Unfolding itself, it looked like a zombie dragon. Its body was purple all the way around save its under belly, which had purple like ribs stretched across red muscles.

"This monster comes to the field in defense mode (1800/500), and will serve as a wall between you and me." Kiro explained as he pointed to his new monster. "Quite a handy little card that I bet you didn't expect to see in my deck, did you?"

"I had figured you'd try some new tactics to throw me off your trail. However," Deo pointed to the token monster that rested on his own field. Vanishing in a down sweeping light, the token was removed from the field. "I shall sacrifice my Pawn Token in order to give a special power to my King's Lord card. Attack my King! Royal Checkmate Blast!"

And with that, the cross on the top of Deo's king monster began to swirl with light. The energy collecting in the cross-section of the carved item, the blast shot outwards in a beam the wrapped itself around Kiro's body. The attack blasted up dirt and smoke around Kiro, when clearing, showed the demon had been brought once again to his hands and knees.

Kiro-4550 LP  
Deodatus-9200 LP

"Dammit." Kiro pounded his fists into the checkered ground below him. Snapping his head up, he glared at Deo with hate and anger. His green hair flapping backwards with the sudden jerking movement.

"Allow me to explain." Deo bowed slightly. "You see, by sacrificing my Pawn Token to my King's effect, he is allowed to attack you directly this turn, halving all battle damage of course."

Huang started to scratch his chin as he watched the duel. "Interesting."

"What is dude?" Chao looked over his shoulder at his buddy.

"Well, these Chess cards. I mean, I've said already that they are incredibly rare and hard to get, but I never once thought they could be this powerful. Every one of them helps out incredibly with their support. Even their weakest one; Pawn's Soldier, has a specific place in this deck."

"And we've only seen the Pawn, the King, the Bishop and the Knight." Kaira was also looking at the over weight man. "Deo has yet to play a Rook or a Queen." Turning her head back to the duel, she looked at Deo's monsters. "And if the queen is anything like she is in the actual game of chess, she is going to be one hard piece to take down."

"No kidding." Chao also turned his attention back to the battlefield before him. "Come on Kiro, you can get through this. We have faith in you dude!" He called to the demon that was still on all fours. "Get up and fight back! Show Deo what you are made of."

"Deodatus." Deo stated blandly, drawing the head of the silver haired boy towards him. "Get it right. Anyways." Deo's own head rotated towards Kiro once again. "I use the special power of my Knight's Hero, attack his Gravekeper Kiro and Spear Soldier now!"

From the open mouth of the marble carved horse head, massive fire ball ripped their way out. Rushing across the field at intense speeds, the blast of fire crashed into the aforementioned monsters, denigrating them instantly.

Kiro was thrown backwards with the intense blast. He shielded his face from the heat and dust that was sent off by the destruction of his monsters. Snarling, he pulled himself to his feet and walked back to his place on the duel arena, pissed off that his monsters were gone.

Kiro-4050 LP  
Deodatus-9200 LP

He felt it burning inside him. The anger and hatred towards Deo building with each breath he took in. He had grown to form such a strong connection between him and his monsters that he actually felt their pain when they were hurt in battle. All his demon blood told him now was to seek revenge, and in his heart and soul, he knew he would.

"Because I used my Panel cards on my Bishop, I can no longer attack with him on this turn, so I'll just end there." Deo smirked as his King began to glow. "And because I end my turn, I create another Pawn Token on my field (0/0), just ready to be sacrificed to my King on my next turn." A small, blue and yellow colored pawn appeared next to the towering king.

"_At least he doesn't have any set cards." _Kiro mentally congratulated. _"That means no sneaky saves like he's been pulling since the start of this game."_ Looking down at his hand of four cards he grimaced slightly. _"Not much I can use though. I need to figure out something I can do to turn this around."_ Placing his fingers on his deck he slowly pulled the next card off and looked at its face. "I set this card face-down." Kiro called, sliding the card into his duel disk. The card appearing behind his floating purple dragon who stretched out its wings and body. "And I'll shift Zoma to attack mode."

"Ah, an 1800 attack point monster is nothing to shabby to say the least." Deo complimented the monster, smiling at its spirit to fight. "But it is hardly strong enough to bring down my King, much less my Knight or my Bishop. So that leaves you with only one attack target, are you going to take it?"

"I am indeed." Kiro smirked, pointing to the yellow and blue pawn token that rested on Deo's field. "Without that, you can't attack me directly again. Go Zoma, attack!" Opening its purple jaw, the beast sent out a toxic green colored smoke that engulfed the pawn instantly. The gas seemed to be sparking as it rubbed across the skin of the marble token, finally breaking it apart in a burst of yellow flames.

Even before Deo had a chance to react from the loss of his Pawn Token, Kiro had already moved on to his second main phase, slapping another card from his hand onto his pure light dueling plate.

"To finish my move, I summon my Gravekeeper's Vassal (700/500) in face-up defense mode." Appearing over its horizontal card, the Egpyatin monster dressed in a tan outfit with a lime green scarf took a defensive pose, ready for Deo's attacks. "Take it away Deodatus."

"Did you forget the power of my Knight's Hero?" Deo cocked an eyebrow at the weak monster that had been summoned on Kiro's field. "Because you have two monsters on your field, it can attack them all, destroying them and leaving you wide open."

"Really?" Kiro's voice was dripping with sarcasm as he spoke. "I mean, its not like I'm stupid or anything." Kiro's eyes shifted off to the right with his pathetic act. What did Deo take him for, some kind of idiot?

"Mock me all you want." Deo drew his next card and added it to his hand, giving him a total of three cards. On his field, one of his face up continuous magic cards began to glow with a radiant light as the power in it activated. "I'll still take you down easy. My Chessboard activates, bringing back my Pawn's Soldier in defense mode." The said monster once again appeared on Deo's field like it had done turns before.

"Your humor grows bland." Kiro shrugged, pointing to Deo's field. "I don't care how big your arsenal is, you are not going to win this duel."

"Smug as always, Kiro. You'll never cease to amaze me." Deo smirked, his green eyes darting towards his carved horse. "Too bad that it isn't enough to save you from the onslaught I have waiting for you. Go Knight's Hero, attack both of his monsters now!"

And with that, the horse once again formed large balls of flames in its jaw. Erupting out of its mouth at tremendous speeds, the fireballs ripped through the air at the two cards. Engulfing the small, Egyptian monster first, but before the second ball of flames reached the purple spirit dragon; it was stopped in mid flight.

"I open my trap card!" Kiro cried out, pointing to the rising card on his field. "Ten-Thousand Life Lies! When a monster is sent from my field to the graveyard I can activate this card to negate your next attack." Kiro pointed to the ball of flames that was hovering inches from his trap monster. Seconds later, the ball of flames was extinguished in mid-air, just bursting apart at the seems and sending red-hot embers raining down on the field. "Oh, and it will also end your battle phase to a point."

"To a point?" Deo cocked an eye brow at Kiro statement. It didn't seem to make any sense.

"Yeah, to a point. You see, now I select one card on the field and have it attack something else on the field. I can chose to have my monster attack any monster on the field, or I can order any of your monster to attack one another. Or…" Kiro pointed to the large King chess piece that stood on Deo's field. "I can choose to have you attack my monster. King's Lord, attack Dead Spirit Zoma now!"

"What!" Deo's, along with every eye watching the duel, widened with surprise at the order Kiro had called. He could have taken out some of Deo's offense and weakened his field hold, but instead he ordered another attack on himself.

The cross at the top of the King's carved head built with energy once again, sending the beam of light bursting towards the trap monster, engulfing it instantly. When the smoke cleared, absolutely nothing was left on Kiro's field.

Kiro-2950 LP  
Deodatus-9200 LP

"Now for the effect of my Dead Spirit Zoma to kick into high gear." Kiro announced, holding up the trap card. "You see, when Zoma is destroyed in battle, it takes the attack points of the monster that destroyed it and takes that number out of your life point total. Consider this payback for that Cross-Check move you pulled on me at the start of this game."

Kiro-2950 LP  
Deodatus-6300 LP

"_He just…forced me to…lose life points against my will."_ Deo was in a state of shock. He hadn't expected a move like that from Kiro at all. _"Amazing, he weakened himself, just so he could bring my life points down. What a reckless and stupid move."_ Deo's eyes trailed across the green haired demon that stood before him. _"Although…he did use Zoma to its fullest power, and his trap card; Ten-Thousand Life Lies did save his life points from even more damage. Alright, I'll give him credit on that move, it was pretty well set up and executed. Now the test is to see if he can pull it off again."_

"That leaves me without anything." Kiro stated the obvious, waving his hand across his barren field to emphasize that his last defense was gone. "But I got accomplished what I needed to get accomplished. Now, are you quite done with your turn so I can continue to kick your ass?"

"Again, your stubbornness never ceases to amaze me Kiro. You still think you can win, and even with the slight move you just made you think that you're on top of this duel." Deo waved his arm as he Pawn Token appeared per the rules of his King's Lord card. All five of his monster zones filled up now. "Well let me tell you something. You're not as great as you think you are, and until my life points have dropped to zero, I am not impressed by your ridiculous child like ploys. I end my turn."

Kiro ran his hand across his brow, pushing back his green hair as he went. "About time. Draw!" He yelled, whipping his arm down and snapping the top card off his deck. It wasn't what he was expecting it to be, but it wasn't going to hurt him at all. "I activate the magic card Pot of Greed. This will allow me to draw two new cards." After sliding his Pot of Greed card into his duel disk, Kiro reached up to his hand and pulled another card out, sliding it into his duel disk along with his Pot of Greed. "And I chain my magic card; Serial Spell. This costs me the other two cards in my hand, but I get to copy the effect of my Pot of Greed to draw an additional two cards on top of the first two."

Sliding the two cards he held into his graveyard per the rules of Serial Spell, Kiro preceded to draw the top four cards off his deck and fan them out in his left hand. A croocked smile dawn his face as he pulled out one of the cards and slid it into his duel disk.

"I'll activate a magic card that will power up your Bishop's Mage." Deo narrowed his eyes as a green boardered card appeared on Kiro's blank field, his monster glowing as it absorbed power (2400/1200). "This card though, shall destroy it! Magic card; Tribute to the Doomed. By discarding one card from my hand, I can rid the field of your Bishop easily."

Sliding one of his remaining three cards into his graveyard, Kiro watched as his magic card sent streams of white bandages out, wrapping themselves around the large, slender chess piece. Pulling tight, the bonds pulled the game piece into the Tribute to the Doomed hologram, swallowing up the monster completely.

"_He's working at taking my field strength apart now. He realized that if he had targeted my King's Lord, my Bishop could easily surpass it soon in attack power by the magic cards played, so he took that out instead."_ Deo refused to show any surprise to the searching demon's eyes. He stood there calm, composed, waiting for Kiro to finish his move.

"I'll set these two cards on my field face-down and call it a turn." Kiro announced after failing to pull any sort of surprise out of Deo. The two cards rippled into existence before him. At least he had a wall between him and Deo, though it did cost him his hand.

"_I will not fall so easily Kiro."_ Deo growled as he raised his hand to his duel disk. "Draw!" He yelled, snapping the top card off his deck and whipping it through the air. Like clockwork his Chessboard began to activate, sending out streams of light the formed into another Pawn's Soldier on his field. "Like you, I'll activate the magic card Pot of Greed to draw an additional two cards from my deck and add them to my hand."

"Can't come up with your own original move." Kiro smirked as Deo draw the top two cards of his deck, unphased by Kiro's taunting words.

Fanning out the two cards, Deo saw a plan coming together. Picking out one of the cards, he slid it into his duel disk quickly. "I play a second Crossing the Great Divide! This card lets me sacrifice one of my Pawn's Soldier's in order to summon back one monster from my grave. I chose to revive Bishop's Mage in attack mode (1600/1200)."

And with the activation of his magic card, Deo's newly summoned Pawn vanished in a ripple in space, leaving in its place the large, slender carved chess piece representing the Bishop.

"Next I sacrifice both my remaining Pawn's Soldier and my Pawn Token in order to summon forth another of my mighty chess pieces. Come out milady, Queen's Guard!"

From a pillar of yellow light that had erupted upwards around Deo's two pawn monsters emerged a large, thick marble carved chess piece. Standing as tall as the towering king, the queen was just as thick around and just as shiny. At the top of her smooth neck, the marble jutted outwards, making a cup with rounded points all the way around it. A hump in the middle of the cup barely showed over the rim, a small orb sitting at the very top of the hump.

"My Queen's Guard (2600/1800) comes with enough attack points to wipe you, and all you posses, off the field and out of this existence. Her ability activates, giving her an additional 200 attack points for my King's Lord being on the field with her (2800/1800)." Deo mocked, pointing to Kiro's field. "With only 2950 life points remaining, you won't survive my next attack."

"Watch me." Kiro lifted his left hand, beckoning with his fingers for Deo to attack him.

"Very well." Deo slashed his arm through the air, pointing his index finger at Kiro's chest. "King's Lord, direct attack! Royal Checkmate Blast!" Deo announced, his monster charging up the cross at the top of his crown to launch its attack at Kiro once more.

"Your first mistake was underestimating me." Kiro calmly spoke over the roar of the charging attack. "Your second was being so dense as to think I would end my last turn without setting some kind of protection. Trap card open!"

The blast of light burst off the crown of the monster, ripping through the air at Kiro, but vanishing into a massive vortex that sprung up inches from Kiro's body.

"Negate Attack does just as the title claims; negates your attack." Kiro showed the trap card to Deo before it vanished into the darkness of his graveyard. "But wait, there is more!" Kiro took the tone of a game show host, waving his arm around through the air. "It also ends your battle phase instantly!"

"I see." Deo's eyes drifted over his four large, marble chess pieces, now standing useless on his field. He could easily take Kiro out of this game, he had the fire power, but Kiro had enough defense now to ward off his attacks. "You realize though that your traps won't last you forever? You'll run out sometime."

"Yeah, I know." Kiro's voice dropping back to his normal level. "But by then I plan to have your life points at zero."

"Amazing…you're still so arrogant to believe the lies you're telling yourself." Deo shrugged. Lifting his arm, he pointed at his large King monster. "Alright, I end my turn, making my King's Lord produced a Pawn Token (0/0) on my field."

"Arrogant maybe the word reserved for the likes of you." Kiro shot back. "Draw!" He announced as he snapped the top card of his deck off and twirled it through the air. The green border of the card reflected in his eyes as it was rushed past his face. Within seconds he had slid the card into his duel disk. "Activate magic card Ancient Ying-Yang Clock. This card destroys all face-up magic and trap cards both players have on the field."

(Bishop's Mage 1800/1200)

Kiro explained as the magic card appeared next to him, beginning to activate with its card image glowing. Bolts of lighting went surging out of the card image towards Deo's field, crashing into the two face-up cards he still had on the field; Chessboard and Quiet Move.

"Then we get to draw cards from our decks equal to the number of cards destroyed in this way." Kiro continued to explain, pulling two more cards off the top of his deck. Deo, nodding with the conditions of the magic card, drew two more cards from his deck as well, adding them to his hand. Glancing at the faces of the cards he now held, Kiro nodded slightly and slapped one of the cards onto his duel disk. "I summon Gravekeeper's Cannonholder in face-up defense mode (1400/1200). This ends my turn."

Kiro's familiar Egyptian warrior wielding the red wood cannon appeared crouching over its card image. The cannon held across its body, acting as a shield.

"You are going down." Deo smirked at the pathetic display of a shield Kiro had set up against him.

Kiro didn't say anything though this time to Deo's insults. His eyes flickered down to the back of his warrior. _"I'm putting a lot of faith in you, and in my down card."_ For a split second, Kiro's eyes also shot to the brown backed card that rested on his field behind his Cannonholder.

"Draw." Deo cried out, snapping the top card off his deck. He was about to announce the arrival of his Pawn's Soldier back to the field with his continuous magic card; Chessboards effect, but remembered that Kiro had removed that card from his field. Taking one of the cards in his hand Deo slapped it down horizontally on his duel disk. "I summon in defense mode; Rook's Shield (800/2200)."

Filling up the final monster slot on Deo's field was a carved marble castle pillar. The top of it shaped with blocked teeth on a circular platform.

"When Rook's Shield is summoned to the field, you take 200 points of damage for each card on the field." Deo held up his hand, showing five outstretched fingers. "That's five from my field, and two from yours. So you take 1400 points of direct damage."

Kiro-1550 LP  
Deodatus-6300 LP

"That's not all. As long as my Rook's Shield is face-up on my side of the field, you cannot select any of my other Chess pieces as attack targets. You must first get past his 2200 defense points." Deo smirked as he recited the effect of his monster. "Face it, I have constructed the perfect strategy to take you out, utilizing all of my back row chess pieces at once."

He whipped his arm out, pointing towards the large king piece.

"King's Lord (2900/2450)."

His arm shifted slightly to the side to the piece that stood next to his king.

"Queen's Guard (2600/1800) (2800/1800)."

Yanking his arm quickly passed his king once again, he pointed to the piece standing on the opposite side.

"Knight's Hero (2300/1500)."

Shifting to the next piece, he continued to name them.

"Bishop's Mage (1600/1200) (1800/1200)."

And one more quick shift to the newest game piece on his field.

"And Rook's Shield (800/2200)."

Kiro grimaced as he realized the immense attack force he was up against. Deo saw the fear building in Kiro's red eyes, knowing he finally succeeded in driving Kiro's fear to the surface.

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Well, well, this final battle is still on! Deo and Kiro are slugging it out. Though it seems like Deo has an overwhelming force on his field, don't count Kiro out of this fight just yet folks. Tell me what you think; I love to hear from you guys, my reviewers. Have a nice day!  
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	46. Trial of the Tenth Pt 3

Chapter 46: Trial of the Tenth Part 3

Filling up the final monster slot on Deo's field was a carved marble castle pillar. The top of it shaped with blocked teeth on a circular platform.

"When Rook's Shield is summoned to the field, you take 200 points of damage for each card on the field." Deo held up his hand, showing five outstretched fingers. "That's five from my field, and two from yours. So you take 1400 points of direct damage."

Kiro-1550 LP  
Deodatus-6300 LP

"That's not all. As long as my Rook's Shield is face-up on my side of the field, you cannot select any of my other Chess pieces as attack targets. You must first get past his 2200 defense points." Deo smirked as he recited the effect of his monster. "Face it; I have constructed the perfect strategy to take you out, utilizing all of my back row chess pieces at once."

He whipped his arm out, pointing towards the large king piece.

"King's Lord (2900/2450)."

His arm shifted slightly to the side to the piece that stood next to his king.

"Queen's Guard (2600/1800) (2800/1800)."

Yanking his arm quickly passed his king once again, he pointed to the piece standing on the opposite side.

"Knight's Hero (2300/1500)."

Shifting to the next piece, he continued to name them.

"Bishop's Mage (1600/1200) (1800/1200)."

And one more quick shift to the newest game piece on his field.

"And Rook's Shield (800/2200)."

Kiro grimaced as he realized the immense attack force he was up against. Deo saw the fear building in Kiro's red eyes, knowing he finally succeeded in driving Kiro's fear to the surface.

"_About time."_ He smirked darkly to himself. "So it's about time I wrapped this game up, go Bishop's Mage, attack his Cannonholder now!" Deo ordered, his bishop obeying instantly. A white crack of lightning blasted off the orb at the top of the spike of the game piece, blasting its way across the field to the defending monster.

"I won't allow this to be the end." Kiro clenched his claws together into a tight balled fist, drawing his own blood by breaking the skin on his palm. "I cannot allow this to be how it all ends." His head snapping up, he roared out. Red, demonic aura burst up around his body, blasting off towards the moonless sky above. "Trap card go!"

"There is no trap card that can save you." Deo cried out as lightning bolt surged its way towards Kiro defending monster.

"This on will!" Kiro yelled back, their voices getting louder with the exchange of remarks. "Design Tri-Function!"

"Ya-what?" Deo's voice dropped back down to a normal level, his eye cocked at the trap card that flipped up on his opponents' field. The trap had an image of a shadowed monster in the middle of a blue bordered triangle. Three, oddly shaped beast sat one at the end of each point on triangle.

"Design Tri-Function works like this." Kiro smirked, his voice also returning to its normal tone. Holding up the last card in his hand, he proceeded to dump it into the graveyard. "I must discard one card from my hand, as well as pay 1000 life points to activate."

Kiro-550 LP  
Deodatus-6300 LP

Bolts of green colored lightning shot out of the card, wrapping themselves around the Gravekeeper Cannonholder and destroying him instantly.

"I must sacrifice all monsters on my field as well." Kiro continued, then placing his black, ridged claws on his deck. "Now I get to draw up to 10 cards from my deck, if I make it that far. I special summon the first three monsters I run across, regardless of summoning conditions."

Kiro began to pull cards off his deck. He saw a few magic and trap cards until his fifth draw when he found a monster.

"Special summon: Secret Spirit Guard – Heruru (2400/1800)." The cold eyed monster appeared on the field before Kiro. His raven black hair whipping around in the wind, covering his black eyes from time to time. It was decorated in its traditional black garment that it was accustom to wearing.

Kiro pulled the next card off his deck and instantly slapped it down on his duel disk as well.

"Special summon: Secret Spirit Guard – Hebanu (2400/1800)." An identical monster to Kiro's first one appeared on the field. Its robe though was the opposite of Heruru's, being white in color. His sky blue hair whipped across his sun yellow eyes just like its brethren.

Kiro drew again, and again and again. On his tenth and final draw, he pulled the third monster he was looking for.

"Special summon; Secret Spirit Guard – Kooru (3000/2000)." Long silver hair fell down from the air to rest on the shoulders of the newly summoned monster, dressed in its usual gray colored robe. Its eyes peeled opened revealing stone cold gray eyes. In the ground next to him, a long sword stuck out of the ground. Grabbing the leather hilt, the monster pulled the sword out of the ground taking two hands to hold up the massive blade. It was pure black in the metal color with a dark blood red aura flowing off of it. Red symbols were carved in it, tracing along the length of the blade.

Deo's had to push the bottom of his jaw up again. _"How in the hell? He summoned all three of them at once!"_

"The rest of the cards I shuffle back into my deck." Kiro said, finishing the effect of his trap card. He pulled out his deck and placed the magic and trap cards back on his deck. He took his sweet time shuffling the deck, rubbing it in. Rubbing in Deo's startled expression.

"Well, a replay was triggered." Was all Deo could sputter out for words. His eyes though showing mass determination, the will to prove Kiro's move to be in vein. "King's Lord, attack his Heruru now! Royal Checkmate Blast!" His king piece didn't move. It sat there like a statue. "What's the matter with you? Attack!"

"It won't work." Kiro grinned from ear to ear, his pearly white fangs being shown off.

"And why not!" Deo screamed, snapping his arms through the air. "Tell me what you have done to prevent my attack on your newly summoned monsters."

"If you'd shut the hell up for five seconds, I'd tell you." Kiro growled, annoyed with Deo's sudden out burst and demands. His graveyard ejected one card, which he held up to show to Deo. "This is why. It's a trap card known as Recklessly Crushing Time. When it's discarded from my hand to the graveyard, I may choose to activate its effect. But to do that, I must first fulfill its cost, paying half of my life points."

Kiro-275 LP  
Deodatus-6300 LP

"By doing this, I end your turn on the spot." Kiro smirked again from the look on Deo's awestruck face. "Meaning it's my turn."

"It comes down to this draw, Kiro." Chao called from the sidelines, getting a cold glare from the demon that had his claws on his deck. Though, Kiro did nod, as he realized Chao was right.

"Yeah, if Kiro doesn't draw what he needs now, he is finished." Huang threw in for the group that was standing around him. All heads, save the robed figure the stood away from the group, turned to the man. "With only 275 life points left, Kiro is in a huge bind. Especially up against Deodatus's 6300 points of life left. Its not going to be easy for him to turn this around with one draw, but if he doesn't, Deo could finish this game on his next move."

"True." Katana threw in, turning her head back to Kiro, who was still glaring at the group on the sidelines. "But Kiro's been top decking well, his new deck should have the power to win this, right?"

"I hope so." Chao agreed, turning back to Kiro. "You can do it buddy." He yelled when he saw Kiro still staring at the group.

"Beat this guy!" Katana added, with some supporting voice from Izumi and Michi who still stood by the woman's side.

"I will." He growled back, turning his head to face the brown haired boy that stood on the field across from him. "I have everything I need in this deck to win, and I plan to do just that."

"Kiro…" A faint woman's voice caught the pointed ear of Kiro. Turning his head back to the group, he saw Kaira smiling at him.

"Yes." He growled, but his hard face quickly softened while looking at the girl. Quickly, with a much more polite voice, he finished his sentence; "Kaira."

Blushing slightly, she smiled wide at him. "You can do it. I believe in you, and I know you are strong enough to overcome him." She clenched both of her hands into fists. "You proved it to Shiva, now show it to Deo! Call upon that inner power of yours and take him out! Its time for these trials to come to a crashing halt!" She meshed her fists together in front of her body. "Some people are destined to succeed, but you Kiro, are determined to!"

"I agree." Kiro nodded, and for the first time in a long time, a warm smiled crack its way across the lips of the demonic boy. "I have the will to end this in my victory."

"Well, as touching as this is." Deo spoke from his end of the field, cleaning out his ear with his pinky finger. "I seriously doubt that you could beat me in this one turn. You did show a lot of power when dueling Shiva, and defeating him, but your energy had been increasing through that duel. While in this one, it has stayed the same; pretty weak."

"I'll show you weak." Kiro's demonic energy building up again, blasting off his body in the form of blood red aura. With one quick flick of his wrist he pulled the top card off his deck and slashed it through the air. With a quick, one motion swipe, it was slid into his duel disk. "I've drawn the magic card; Alter of Restoration. If you don't know what this card does, allow me to explain. It allows me to remove the top two cards of my deck from the game to bring one card back from my graveyard to my hand."

He quickly snapped the top two cards off his deck and glanced at their faces; Djeser-Djeseru and Gravekeeper's Curse (800/800). His graveyard spit out the stack of cards that had collected there throughout the duel. Grabbing one, he slid the rest of them back into his graveyard.

"Here it is, the card that will finish this. Go Pot of Greed." Kiro pulled two more cards off his dwindling deck. He whipped them out of his field of sight for a second, filling his hope up that they were the cards he needed to finish this game.

"Well?" Deo cocked an eyebrow. "Is it or isn't it the cards you need to finish this game this turn." His last words held a tone of a non-believer to them.

The cards slid in front of Kiro's eyes.

"They are." He smirked, pointing towards the sky. "I summon the ultimate beast now! I make a triple sacrifice, giving up all three of my Secret Spirit Guards!"

"Triple sacrifice!" The group the supported Kiro all gasped at the same time. Huang and Chao looked at each other, nodding as they knew what it was Kiro was going to be summoning.

"Heruru, Hebanu and Kooru, I merge your powers together in the form of a deadly dragon. Rise, Abysmal Catacomb Dragon (3500/3500)!"

The sky blue haired demon, his black haired brother and the silver haired leader of the two became glowing orbs of light hovering inches from each other on the field. With a start, the three of them began to zip around Kiro's field like mini comets in flight, a long, white streaking tail behind each orb. After a few seconds of this racing in circles, the orbs set themselves on a collision course, crashing into one another on Kiro's middle field monster slot. A loud explosion rang out through the night, followed by a shower of yellow, white, blue and red lights that followed.

Kiro slapped a card down on his duel disk as soon as he had picked up the three Secret Spirits Guards and slid them into his graveyard. The new card he placed on his duel disk began to glow, sending off a beam of light the joined with the mess of lights already rushing around Kiro's field. Looking upwards towards the aurora of lights, Kiro smirked when he could make out an outline.

The dragon began to take on more life, becoming visible in the fog of lights. Its scales were pitch black, with streaks of navy blue and ruby red forming some kind of ancient writing burned into its skin. Its head was draconic, sharpening out at the tip of its nose to a perfect point and a ways off the back of the head where it formed devil horns. Its eyes were yellow lined, with angry, slotted eyes in them. Its long, serpent like body was being held up on a pair of snow white wings, sending off a ghastly fog as the flapped to keep the monster afloat.

"Abysmal Catacomb Dragon…" Deo's eyes were shaking as he stared at the huge beast. Though it didn't hold enough attack power to finish him off, even in a direct attack, something about the dragon spelled defeat in Deo's eyes. He felt it feeding on Kiro's energy, which had shot drastically skywards.

"The effect of my monster activates." Kiro began, holding up his duel disk so Deo could stare at the orange bordered monster that rested right in the middle. "When it is summoned by sacrificing three monsters I reveal all monsters on the field, with none of their effects kicking in at this time." Kiro took a second to glance around, smirking. "Looks like that is done; now my dragon's second effect activates. It will destroy every monster on the field whose defense is less than its attack points."

"What!" Deo looked at his field. Only one of his monsters had greater defense than its attack, his Rook's Shield (800/2200). The other four monsters began to shake violently, blasting apart in the mere aura of the dragon.

"Now, for one final magic card." Kiro held up the last card in his hand. "It's about time I finished this game once and for all. Activate!" He yelled, slamming the card into his duel disk behind his dragon. "Deceased Offerings of Tribute! A magic card that will give my monsters the attack points of every monster that was sacrificed to summon it." Kiro held up the three cards he had used. "Which gives him an additional 7800 attack points."

Kiro's mighty dragon began to roar. Streams of ghostly white light blasted out of the three cards Kiro held in his hand and into the skin of the powerful dragon monster. Its eyes began to burn with rage, hatred, and lust for more power (11300/3500).

"Oh, and one more thing." Kiro held out his right hand, flopping the three Secret Spirit Guards cards down towards the ground as he pointed with his knuckles at the defending rook piece. "When I used my Deceased Offerings of Tribute card, my monster gains the power to deal damage through defense. Though the monster would be destroyed during my end phase, but you won't last that long."

Deo's eyes widened even more at hearing this. That meant that he would be dealt a little over 9000 points of damage. This really was the end! His green eyes dropped, looking at the black wrist gadget on his arm. The life point display read: 6300, not enough to withstand the attack.

"It's over Deo! Abysmal Catacomb Dragon attack! Infinity Roar!" Kiro bellowed, snapping his arms down to his side. Mass amounts of his demon aura blasted off his body into the night, turning him into one large, red candle.

The dragon began to blast out a stream of fire from its maw, engulfing the defending piece whole. The fire though was just the outline of flames, inside, where the body of the flame lives; it showed vast, never ending space. Stars and planets were as visible as day in the eruption. It soon passed though, leaving nothing resting on Deo's field. Deo himself was sprawled out on the cold, stone roof of the temple. His body smoking as he had been caught in the attack as well.

Kiro-275 LP  
Deodatus-0 LP

Kiro's dragon faded off the field with one final roar ripping from it mouth. Kiro himself began the journey across the roof to where Deo lay sprawled out, unmoving. Each step echoed in the night, his feet crushing small rocks that lay strewn about on the surface.

"Dammit Kiro." Deo's voice finally broke in, followed by a string of coughs that were jerked from the lungs of the young boy's body. The body jumped with each cough until his lungs were cleared. Placing his hands on the cold, stone roof, Deo began to life himself. "Dammit it all. How did you pull that kind of power out of your ass and win this?" Deo's head snapped up, his eyes locked on Kiro's approaching body. Under the kids emerald green eyes were two, long, blood red triangles, the mark of the testers.

"Didn't I tell you to start with?" Kiro stopped, just a few feet from Deo's bowing body. "If it wasn't because I was destined to win this duel, it's because I refuse to give in to the likes of you."

"You know that made no sense?" Deo smirked, pushing himself to stand on his back legs once again. Still significantly smaller than Kiro, Deo has to look up to stare Kiro in the face from this distance, which had closed when he took room to stand up.

"It doesn't matter." Kiro growled, glaring over to his side where the robed figure was closing the gap between the two of them. Bearing his fangs, Kiro began to talk to the robed person. "Well, there you have it. Ten trials that I have won of your little test. Does that prove I have the power to get these demon's out of my body and back into their own?"

"You have done extraordinarily well Kiro Rinku." The robed figure stopped between Kiro and Deo. Turning to look at Kiro from under the hood on his black robe, he continued to speak. "And per the rules of the ancients, when you have past all ten tests laid before you, the three spirits will be set free from the hosts body."

"Then let's do it." Kiro growled, growing impatient with the waiting. He was ready now to get Kooru, Heruru, and Hebanu out of his body.

"We will, as soon as you present the tri-key to me, and I'll show you the lock." The robed figure spoke again, its raspy voice carrying in the night air. Kiro nodded, turned, and began to walk to the group on the side of the roof that had been watching the duel.

Pulling the white wrist gadget off his arm, Kiro handed it to Chao. "Hold onto this for a moment." He said, as he pulled out his deck of cards and began to shift through them. Within seconds he found what he was looking for and placed his deck back into the white wrist gadget in Chao's hands. He quickly made his way back to the robed figure and extended his hand with three cards in his fingers.

"Very good, I see you figured out what the tri-key was." The figure said, looking across the faces of the three cards. "But how did you realize that they were the tri-key?"

"Simple." Kiro pulled back his hand and looked at the three cards. "Shiva told me to look for something I've recently acquired in my life, which has something, yet nothing to do with my ancient struggle." Holding up the cards, his eyes traced over each one of them. "Secret Spirit Guard –Heruru, Hebanu, and Kooru are those 'things' that have something to do with my struggled, yet nothing at all. Plus, those three cards leaving my deck symbolize them leaving my body."

"Wow." Chao whistled as he walked up to the green haired demon, followed by Kaira, Katana, Michi and Izumi. Huang was still rather reluctant to be near Kiro, but after a short time followed along behind as well.

"But when did you figure it out?" Katana asked as the group came to a stop behind him. "I looked in a lot of scriptures and never found a definite clue of what the tri-key was apart from the key needed to release those three from your body."

"During the duel." Kiro replied, glaring over his shoulder at her.

"During the duel?" The robed figure's voice brought the demon back towards him.

"Yes." Kiro nodded. "Those three cards were like the keys I need to summon out the winning card. I knew that the only way I could win was to summon Abysmal Catacomb Dragon, the strongest beast in my deck and the only thing that could take down Deodatus's chess monsters. But to do that, I needed a triple sacrifice. Three sacrifices…tri-key. Made sense to me." Kiro said, weighing his hands up and down in the air as he made his final comparison.

"I see." The figure nodded, its raspy voice still ringing through the night. Deo nodded his head in approval at the problem solving the Kiro had just done. "Well, bravo on your accomplishment Mr. Rinku. You have proven yourself more than worthy to let the spirits leave your body. If you please." He pointed to the center of the roof. Kiro flipped around suddenly to see a circular pillar beginning to rise out of the stone roof.

The pillar stopped once it was about four feet above the roof of the temple. Kiro walked up to it, observing the top of the pillar. It had three slots cut open in it, one for each card Kiro guessed. In the middle of the triangle of slots were three holes carved in perfect circles. For the soul orbs Kiro assumed as well. Looking back over his shoulder he saw the robed figure nodding its head.

"_Ready guys?"_ Kiro asked, closing his eyes and taking in the last mental picture of the three demons in his mind chamber.

_("We're as ready as we've ever been.")_ Heruru shot back, with an odd smile across his face. Its not that Kiro hadn't seen Heruru smile before, it was just that this time, the smile was filled with happiness and joy, instead of malice and cruelty.

Hebanu was bouncing on his heels like a kid in front of a candy store. His yellow eyes were twinkling and wide as he waited for the final moments of his life in Kiro's body to end.

_("Well Kiro.")_ Kooru spoke finally. _("It has been one hell of a ride with you. Though we have to say that you have been one of the best hosts we've had in decades. So…")_ Kooru turned his head to look at the brother demon behind him in the soul room. Turning back, he smiled wide (_"We thank you ever so much for all you've done. Now get those cards in those holes and let's get out of here.")_

"Alright then." Kiro said, looking at the cards in his hand one last time. One at a time, he slid them into the slots, first Hebanu's card, then Heruru's and finally Kooru's card. Taking off the leather glove that was still on his right hand, Kiro began to rip the fabric apart and finally pulled out the three orbs it held. One by one, in the same order, Kiro dropped the orbs into the holes.

The pillar began to sink into the building, and the ancient hieroglyphs on the roof began to glow with a radiant light. Kiro took a few steps back as the building began to light up, he could feel its energy through his feet, rushing up through his vein's into his body.

Chao, who was holding the duel disk in his hands still, looked down to see that all ten gems on the back of it were brightly glowing as well. One of each color of the moon during the trials, the last being a rainbow of colors.

"Well Kaira." A male voice said behind the girl. She felt a black gloved hand resting on her shoulder. Thought that wasn't what surprised her, what surprised her most was that she knew the voice. It was as familiar to her as Kiro's or Chao's voice was to her by now. "You've come a long way since meeting Kiro, and you have grown up much. If you weren't tied to him, I would have taken your body instead of the one I chose."

"…Deruku…" She slowly turned around to see the robed figure standing behind her, retracting its arm from her shoulder. "Deruku…is that you?"

"No." The figure shook its head, placing its hands on the sides of the robe. "I am not your younger brother, though I am in use of his body." The figure explained, pulling the hood back to reveal the sandy blond hair and brown eyes she had known to belong to her brother. "Like I originally said, had you not been so close to Kiro to start with, it would have been your body I borrowed instead of your brothers. I spared him from the fire at Andron's tester ground and possessed him. Maybe…" He turned away. "…someday you'll be reunited with him." And with that, the hood was flashed back onto his head and he walked away.

"…Deruku…you're alive." Tears began to cut their way down Kaira's face. She didn't even realize when the huge group was transported to the ground in front of the temple.

Kiro watched with excitement as the large stone doors on the temple, which were until recently; inoperable, began to slide back. A blast of white smoke began to burst out of the opening, and three shadowy figures began to emerge from the hole.

Tears were even coming out of Kiro's eyes when the little light of the area caught their faces.

Heruru, Hebanu, and Kooru were reborn, in their own bodies.


	47. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Kiro Rinku stood in the bathroom mirror of his own home. Five years had passed since the trials had begun, and since those blasted demons were free from his body. With a flick of his wrist, the demon seated a pair of thick pitch-black sunglasses over his solid red irises. His hands still had on their usual yellow work gloves to cover the raven black, ridged, claws that were his hands. He had grown his hair out a bit longer so as he could cover his pointed ears easier. Nodding with his approval of how 'human' he looked, he began to walk out of the bathroom.

On the way to the door, he grabbed a long sleeved hoodie that hung on a coat rack by the door. Pulling it on over his arms he concealed the red scales that made their way up the under side of his arm from his palm. Though it was rather nice outside, he still pulled the hood up over his head as extra precaution against his ears being seen.

He didn't look like he had any fashion sense, but black being his main color. Apart from that, he didn't care. As long as no one would learn his secret, he was fine with how ever he had to look.

Turning, he walked towards his front door, stopping to stare out a window that set next to his opening to the outside world. Through the window he saw a large, white truck. The house that was next to him had been for sale, and this was a moving truck. Apparently someone had finally bought the house.

As long as they left him alone, he wouldn't have any problem with them. He began to open his door and make his way out of the house, flicking the lock as he went through.

He bounded down a set of cement stairs that led up to his wooden front door, and began a long journey down his front sidewalk. Though he stopped and looked at the moving truck next door to him. Something had caught his eye. Could it be?

He stared at the group of people that were hauling boxes in and out of the house, but two of the people that were helping were not who he expected them to be. One of them was a black haired male, about the same age as Kiro was and same height as well. He was busy carrying boxes from the truck into the house.

The second one was a female, who was a bit shorter than him and the man he was staring at. She had long, sandy blond hair pulled back into a pony tail to keep it out of her way.

Kiro eyes widened as he realized just who the two people were. Smirking to himself, he began to walk down the sidewalk to opposite way from the people. He had seen those two in newspapers from ages ago, and they were right there, living next to him. What a pleasant little surprise this was. Maybe tomorrow, or come this weekend, he'd have to meet his new next door neighbors. Maybe invite them to a little _game_ just to see what they really were like.

* * *

"Blast it all." A raspy voice echoed down a golden hallway. Coming through a doorway, a black robed figure made his way into the large, golden room. Whipping his head from side to side, the figure took in a deep breath, so he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"I was wondering when you would show up." A blond woman in a long, snow white dress stood up from a golden chair that sat against a wall.

"It only took me five years to find this damn place." The robed figure swore aloud, tapping his foot up and down on the floor. "You'd be surprised how big this world is when you're looking for one simple palace."

"I know all to well." The woman nodded, giggling a little bit at the frustration of the robed man. "So here, have a seat." She offered, motioning to the seat she was sitting in just moments before. He swiftly made his way across the chamber and set down on the cushioned chair.

"Thank you."

"Not a problem." She smiled again, leaning up against the chair and looking down on him. "So the trials have been over for five years? Are the three guards alive and well or did their host fail?"

"Oh no, he passed and Heruru, Hebanu and Kooru are in their own flesh and blood. Waiting for whenever we may need them." The figure had to crank his head so he could look up at the woman. "But how about you Miss Kimberly, how are you fairing sitting here these many days and nights. It has been ages since we last talked, back before the trials began if I can recollect that far."

"I'm doing just wonderful. Nothing has disturbed the peace here for the past five years. In this lap of time, I think it was a wonderful idea for the tests to be held. It would be utter chaos to try and hold the trials while the world is being threatened." She spoke, looking out the window of the room. "Though…I fear that _he_ might be awakening soon."

"Yes, the one thing we didn't mention about the trials to Kiro Rinku. That in doing so, he could have saved the world, or he could destroy the world." The robed figure looked downwards to his knees. "He released four beings, not just three like he thinks. Now we will just have to wait and see where this all leads."

The two of them set in silence for a time. Both dwelling on the little conversation that they had just shared with each other. A tension of fear coursed through the air with the words drifting in a light breeze through the room.

The future holds many mysteries. No one is quite sure what tomorrow is going to look like, and if it will ever come. For a select group, tomorrow might just be the start of a living hell that brings them one step closer to their destiny.

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Last Guard of the Spirits people. I hope you all have had fun reading through this adventure as I've had a lot of fun writing it. Almost can't believe that I am finished through. With these final words, I close one of my works forever. Though do not fret, there is still some unfinished business that needs to be attended to.

For those of you who don't know, this is a side story to one of my more…aherm…recognized stories. The Team Zero saga. Though really, the only time you would have needed that information is right here in this epilogue. But even so, that is nothing to really worry about.

For those of you who have read and followed my Team Zero stories all the way from Duelist to Orichalcos, you will have noticed all the sudden clues I dropped between these two fics…I hope. If not, well then I guess you'll just have to wait and relearn a little bit.

What is my point in babbling right now? I really have no clue. Though there is one important thing I did want to get across. Many readers may have heard of me talking about this for a while now, cause its been in the works for some time, planning and all. So here is a slight preview of what my next fic will be.

_Preview:…_ _You've known them all. Familiar faces are about to collide from two different lives, for one goal. Friends will be made, friends will become enemies, and enemies will become friends. The ancient struggle is about to come to a crashing halt in the destiny of these four duelists lives. The final battle is about to begin, and about to end. Between two different worlds, a huge war is about to be waged over the ultimate power in the universe. Who will win?_

_Be on the look out for this book._

_Team Zero: The Last Guard. _

Ok, I'm done. But yes, my next work of art is going to be the long awaited for Team Zero fic. Hope to see your reviews on it when it is posted. Until then;

HAVE A NICE DAY!  
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